Wandering Warrior
by RedRedRose0220
Summary: After leaving the village for five years Sakura comes back, her powers much grown. Will she be able to protect herself, her love and her friends from the threat of the Akatsuki? only time will tell for this wandering warrior. NejiXSaku
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. **

Wandering WarriorChapter One: Return of the Lost One

The vast forest was silent in the early hours of the dawn, birds just beginning to wake up themselves. Foxes and deer woke up to feed, the flowers getting ready to taste the sweet rays of the sun on their tender petals. But something else not animal was moving through the forest.

A slim figure, dark as a shadow against the background of the early-morning forest, was darting in and out of the trees, bounding lightly from branch to branch. The figure moved remarkably quickly, a long braid lashing out like a whip behind it and the rising sun giving it a golden cast.

The shadow continued moving as the sun peeked it's gold-crowned head above the shelter of the horizon, revealing the nature of the outline darting from branch to branch. The light from the glowing star was caught by eyes of the greenest jade and wound its golden tendrils around hair of the palest pink shade, all the while touching on features laced with delicate beauty. She was tall, but not much above average height and her long arms and legs were muscled leanly, but still she was as slender as a willow branch; womanly in her own unique way while still bespeaking through her character a fierce strength and determination.

The woman, still moving gracefully though the leafy trees, opened up the small holster on the side of her thigh. Shuriken and Kunai of various sizes all awaited her touch as she dug through the small pouch and made her selection. She had already spotted breakfast.

Snuffling through the underbrush for a few clover buds, the inattentive rabbit made an easy target. Pausing on the branch of a tree for stability, she threw the shuriken stars with an expert flick of her wrist and only felt a small twinge of pity as the small creature was pinned to the ground, a star through it's neck. She laughed in satisfaction; breakfast was going to be delicious.

With in the half hour she had a fire started and the poor beast skinned, gutted, cooked and devoured, licking her fingers in delight. It had been a very long time since she had enjoyed rabbit; the soft meat in her mouth was always tasty. Better at any rate than those horrible instant ramen cups that Naruto used to make her eat.

The pink-haired nin smiled and gathered up the shuriken that had ended the rabbit's life. _No sense in wasting good weapons,_ she thought with a smirk, she hated being wasteful. She cleaned it briefly and placed it back in the holster before bounding back into the trees with a quick step.

She was so close to her home, she could almost smell the welcome scent of Ichiraku Ramen, or hear the laughter of her friends. Heartache beat fast in her breast, but she quelled it almost instantly with the comforting thought of seeing them soon. The Village in the Leaves, a place of intense training and strong friendships, would be a welcome sight after five long years of absence. Sakura Haruno smiled inwardly; she just couldn't wait to see it.

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The young medic nin flew through the trees, pumping chakra to her feet in order to lend speed to her journey. It had been so long since she had last seen her beloved friends that she couldn't help but be in a hurry to get back there. But at the same time, she was so worried about returning. After five long years of intense medical and physical training in five of the other Hidden Villages, she didn't know how her friends were going to receiver her. Would they feel abandoned? Would they accept her new personality? Would things be the way they had been before she had applied for the journey? The Cherry Blossom shook the thoughts out of her head, her braid snapping in the wind. Of course they would accept her! They were her friends and they loved her. But one particular 'friend' came to mind, a man with pale eyes and long brown hair…

No! Sakura snapped her thoughts out of such dangerous territory. She had kept those feelings aside for five years now and knew she wasn't quiet ready to face them. A secret smile crept on to Sakura's face. She couldn't wait to show Tsunade-sensei her new strength!

_That old Lady's eyes will pop out of her head when she sees what I can do now! _ Sakura thought with glee, adventurous fire coming to her eyes. She already been a kunoichi of renown before her quest for strength began, her healing techniques and battle prowess had 'rivaled Tsunade herself' as everyone said fondly. After apprenticing herself to the old Sannin, she had trained under her until her seventeenth year.

But by then the battle hungry Cherry Blossom had realized that she had gleaned all the knowledge she could from the Gondaime. This realization first came to light when Tsunade had taught her the Creation Rebirth Jutsu, and teaching her the secrets of the small red diamond that now resided in between her pink brows. After that last training session, Sakura had begun to understand that her lessons with Tsunade were coming to a close. But that power that she had gotten from the Sannin, that taste of greatness, wasn't enough for the power-starved kunoichi.

Ever since that teme Sasuke had left her, she had trained like a mad woman, and for all her hard work, earned the reputation of one of the fiercest kunoichi in the Hidden Leaf Village. Standing on the sidelines was never an option again with Sakura; she would die before she reverted to the way she was as a genin.

In fact, the very next day, still shaking from using excessive chakra to create the seal on her forehead, Sakura had hobbled to Hokage Tower and asked for the five years to train. And surprisingly, with a nod and a wave of her hand, Tsunade had granted her wish.

The old Sannin had actually been good about sending her daughter-like apprentice away for such a long period of time. The Gondaime had understood Sakura's reasons and had been like the mother the young nin had always wanted; understanding her ninja ways and respecting her. How unlike her real mother…

Nonetheless, no matter how Tsunade felt about apprentice's wish for power and prestige, the paperwork was all filled out in haste, letters of recommendation written and sealed, bags were packed, and by the end of the week, Sakura was given leave to begin her journey.

The pink-haired medic nin only had one rule: be at the gates in five year's time. But violating this one simple rule would bring about execution on sight. Other than that however, Sakura was allowed to go where she wanted, choose which Hidden Villages, and divide the time as she wished between them. She had ended up giving one year to Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and the last to Amegakure. As she had traveled from village to village, the Cherry Blossom had made many friends, strengthening ties between the unstable nation-like villages and doing her duty as a shinobi: to represent her village honorably in all things.

But, she had always wondered, was strengthening ties with other villages destroying the bonds she had with her own? This question plagued her mind for many nights as memories of Konoha faded from her mind, replaced with new ones of other places. Only time would tell her of the might of her old links to Konoha.

The medic nin leapt to one last tree before coming to an abrupt halt. A single tear escaped her jade eyes as the emotions she had worked for years to control were overwhelming her, but she would allow it just this once. There before her, basking in the full glory of a rising golden sun, lay the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

She was home.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Hey everyone! thanks for your reviews. I hope you have so far enjoyed Sakura's return to her Village. I'm not gonna give anything away for this chapter, so read on and enjoy!

Chapter Two: Melancholy Reunion

The pink-haired medic nin sat there on the branch for a moment, gaining back her out of control emotions. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for an instant, preparing herself for what was to come. Getting down off the tree suddenly seemed the hardest thing to do. She opened her jade orbs again and gazed out, a smile breaking out as she found Konoha's most famous landmark.

Overlooking the village like a great fleet of protectors was Hokage Mountain, the carved visages of all the past leaders gravely staring down on the bustling Leaf. She smiled to think that one day Naruto's face very well might be carved onto that same mountain, crowded there with all those other legends.

Wiping away that lone tear on her face, the flushed Cherry Blossom leapt down off of the tree branch lightly and composed herself again. Kami! Her nerves always seemed to get the best of her! Hope and excitement filled her heart: she was finally here! The looming gates of the village rose before her; she could tell the architect had designed them to fully impose the power of the village on the visitor.

Calmly, almost robotically, Sakura ambled into the Village, the guards waving her on. The two unfamiliar jounin didn't even take notice at her passing, but Sakura was too happy to note it.

Heady with nervousness, she expected the Rookie Nine, all of them, to be waiting just inside the gates, at the very spot she bid them farewell. She could almost imagine Naruto there, holding a cup of instant ramen, or Kiba cradling Akamaru in his hands. Perhaps Ino would be there as well, full up on the latest gossip. The Cherry Blossom sighed; she had five _years_ of gossip to catch up on.

But as she entered, she turned and gazed at the small guard outpost, the spot everyone had seen her off at on that rainy morning five years previous, but no one was there. She looked around again, hoping desperately that they were somewhere, anywhere, but all she saw was just a long empty street leading into the heart of the Leaf. Her heart sank in her breast. Could they have forgotten her? But a more important thought slammed her in the chest, would HE have forgotten her?! Panic erupted inside her head as she stomped over to the outpost.

It wasn't much, just a simple shack meant to house the jounin watching the gates if it rained. A rusted metal roof and three square wooden walls made a nice door less shelter where one could wait out the weather. There wasn't much room to do anything else. She looked inside, knowing that the small shack wasn't going to house nine fully grown teenagers. Dejected, she looked down the street and up at the Hokage Tower. At least Tsunade would be happy to see her…or had the sake-drinking Sannin forgotten her as well? The Cherry Blossom felt the tiniest thread of anger weave its way through her being, but before she left, she spared one last glance at the lonely looking outpost.

_I can't believe their not coming to see me_, Sakura thought sadly. She turned her pink head down and sighed, thinking of the rookie Nine. How she missed them, her silly ridiculous wonderful friends. She missed everything about them: Naruto's childishness, Hinata's shyness, Shikamaru's laziness, but most of all, above and beyond the feelings she felt for the rest of them, she missed _him_, the infamous Hyuga prodigy and, above all, her very best friend in the entire world.

The way she felt now about the elusive Hyuga had surprised her at first; it had seemed so dubious a source to arouse her affections; Cold and even sometimes arrogant, Neji was an unlikely candidate for a close friend, but, as the pair had been thrown into more and more dual missions by Tsunade, Sakura had realized what a caring individual Neji really was. He made sure of her well-being when they fought their enemies, saving her life on several occasions, and, when Sakura pestered him, could hold an interesting conversation quiet well. They had grown even closer as the number of mission's they accomplished racked up.

She closed her eyes and remembered his soft voice and gentle smile, those pale eyes gazing into hers. He was so strong, even when they had been genin, he was a prodigy, what would he be like now? She had often wondered before her journey if she loved him, but had never really thought so. Her first encounter with love had ended up with her left unconscious on a park bench; understandably, she was reluctant to try the experience again. Her young twelve-year-old heart had been shattered by Sasuke's abandonment, but through it, she had developed a wall of steel around the fragile organ and wasn't willing to just hand it off as soon as she "thought" she was in love. She wanted to be absolutely **sure** before she gave it away again.

Opening her eyes, the Cherry Blossom walked on again, feelings of despair and anger coursing through her. They weren't here; they weren't coming to welcome her. They had probably even forgotten that today was the day of her return. Shaking her head in disbelief, she made her way down the road into the downtown part of the village, making headway for Hokage Tower.

Sakura made her way up the stairs and past the guards at the door, ignoring their cries of protest. Retracing her steps, she was hit with memories left, right and center.

There: where her and Neji were assigned their last mission together.

There: Naruto had been sent to go on his journey with Jiraiya.

There: Sakura had begged to become Tsunade's apprentice.

It was almost too much for the young woman as she approached the double doors leading to the Hokage's office. With one ferocious kick, the strong oak doors cracked under her strength, causing a smirk to appear over the kunoichi's mouth. She was glad she had expended some of her excess anger. Chunks of wood flew through the air as she retracted her foot and sauntered in smugly. Let the old Lady yell at her, she didn't care. The Cherry Blossom was just too happy to be back in familiar territory.

"Tsunade-sensei! I'm back!" she crowed at the top of her lungs, enjoying the feel of releasing some tension. She looked over at the desk, mountains of paperwork weighed down on the table and empty sake bottles littering the floor. Kicking one on accident as she moved into the room, Sakura sent it klinking jovially across the floor. It was messier than she remembered, "Tsunade-sensei! Where are you? It's me, Sakura!" she cried a little louder, wondering where everybody was.

Slowly, almost fearfully, a gray-blonde head rose trembling above a stack of paperwork.

"Sakura? Is that you?" the Gondaime's amber eyes peeked out over the top of the paper, recognition registering in them, "Sakura? Oh thank Kami! I was worried Orochimaru had finally come for me!" she laughed insanely and ran over from behind her desk, crushing Sakura in a rib-breaking hug. Sakura returned the gesture cheerfully, happy someone was glad to see her.

Tsunade let go after she heard Sakura's back crack and allowed her to take a seat across the desk from the Hokage's chair. The old Sannin herself sat down, draining a whole bottle of sake in the process. Sakura noticed the Gondaime's hands shake a little at the movement, and turned her eyes upward to get a full look at the healer.

The Gondaime looked and acted so much older. Her once blonde hair now had obvious strands of gray in it, and the once lively amber eyes, eyes that used to be challenging and spunky, were now ringed with dark circles. The sake had temporarily restored the flush to her cheeks, but Sakura knew that without it, the Hokage would be pale as a sheet. The Cherry Blossom reached across the table and grabbed one of her ex-teacher's hands.

"Tsunade-sensei? What's going on?" she forced the Hokage to meet her eyes, "Why were none of my friends at the gate to greet me? And why do you look so exhausted? You're a medic for Kami's sake! You know the importance of sleep!" Sakura felt like a mother scolding her child as she chastised the Gondaime.

A great sigh heaved its way through Tsunade's chest.

"Sakura…sigh…there's so much to tell you." The Sannin looked helplessly up at the ceiling, "Well, I'll start with the easiest thing to explain. Your friends weren't there to greet you today because I sent them all out on missions. It's that simple." Sakura nodded hungrily, she desperately wanted information. The Gondaime was making her worry, "Naruto, Shino, Neji and Tenten are all out by the border of Wind country securing the border; the other's are in Suna with the Kazekage, we've been working out a treaty for the past few years and we're finalizing the plans today…" A look of pain clouded over Tsunade's face as she tried to go on.

"Yes Tsunade-sensei? Please go on!" Sakura's face conveyed her alarm at seeing her old sensei so distressed, "Tell me, please. Is it something about Naruto? Or…" she couldn't bring herself to say the other name, but Tsunade knew who she meant. For a moment, just a moment, a spark of mischief and amusement shone bright in her eyes.

"Still mooning after Neji ne?" she gazed slyly at the blushing kunoichi, " I'd watch my man if I were you Sakura, Tenten has been hounding after him since the day you left." The old Tsunade shown out of the shell sitting before Sakura for a bright instant, " I wouldn't worry though Sakura, Neji hasn't approached her as a potential anything as of yet, he's remained true to his feelings for you, though he'll die before he actually admits he likes you." The crafty Tsunade gave Sakura one more glimpse of herself before becoming the exhausted Gondaime again.

"Please Tsunade-sensei, if it's not about Naruto or…N-Neji" she had an intense moment of difficulty while saying his name, "then what is going on? Who is this about?" she looked frantically into the Gondaime's drained eyes, trying to hide her jealousy and anger at Tenten by focusing on another issue.

Meeting her gaze with steady, calm, almost dead eyes, the Hokage whispered a few words.

"It's about Sasuke… he's back."

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll update asap.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

**Hey everyone! I know the last two chapters have been really short and I apologize, but I hope this one is slightly longer for you and we get our first glimpse of the hero! I won't give anymore away, but I hope you enjoy the chapter. **

Chapter 3: Forgiveness

For one still agonizing moment, the Hokage's office was blanketed in dead silence. Tsunade had sunk so low in her chair under Sakura's withering gaze that only her eyes were visible. Sakura gathered up all the strength in her, the rest seemingly fled elsewhere, and managed to choke out one word."

"W-why?" her voice sounded harsh and dry, but summoning up another bout of elusive energy, she spoke again, "What about Orochimaru…or Itachi?" she stuttered her way through the question.

Tsunade scooted up a bit in her chair and rested her tired blonde head on the desk. The rings under her eyes were so deep that she looked like a raccoon. Sakura suppressed the sick temptation to giggle at her sensei's appearance as the Gondaime began to speak. She fixed her eyes on the pink-haired kunoichi and took a deep breath.

"He showed up at the gates just a few months ago. Of course we immediately took him into custody, Ibiki-san subjected him to…" the Gondaime paused for a moment, a shudder running through her slim body, "Well, we don't even know _what_ Ibiki did to him, but it crushed him psychologically. However, we did gain the information we needed from him before we handed him over to the ANBU black ops. The council and I have been at work deciding his fate for the past two months." The Hokage looked so exhausted and world-weary, it was all Sakura could do to not rush over and gather up the tired out old woman.

"Tsunade-sensei," she said softly, gently, "_What_ information did Ibiki-san gather?" curiosity itched through every cell in her body, questions, like shuriken, whizzed through her mind. Did Sasuke kill Itachi? Or was he just sent here by Orochimaru to spy? What if he killed Orochimaru as well? The thought of the snake-Sannin's body dead on the ground somewhere brought perverse satisfaction to her mind.

"He claims he killed Itachi _and_ Orochimaru." The Hokage's voice brought Sakura out of her musings and snapped her back into reality, "But as of yet we have no reason to believe him. He has brought no proof of the death of either." The old Sannin gave a heavy sigh as she sunk deeper into her chair; a full bottle of sake stood at the ready on the corner of her desk, without even looking at it, the old Lady popped the top off and chugged it down in a few long draughts.

"But Tsunade-sensei, what is the problem?" Sakura was confused, if he was back, then he should be subjected to the appropriate punishments: end of story. The Cherry Blossom knew, through all the old texts she had read, that in this extreme case, the punishment would be public execution. A chill ran up her back at the thought of Sasuke, cold arrogant Sasuke, being killed in front of the entire Village. Even if he had abandoned her and the love she had harbored for him had fled years ago, she still felt twinges of pity for her former-teammate.

"For his crimes against the village and assisting the wanted nin Orochimaru, his punishment should be death," the Cherry Blossom said uncertainly. Tsunade, her eyes dazed and blank of all emotion, suddenly came to life, sparks practically flying out of them, and she lurched out of her chair, surprising Sakura, who flinched noticeably.

"Sakura, you don't understand, his punishment _should be _death! _That's_ the problem!" The Sannin was up and pacing the office floor, her feet housed in a pair of tattered slippers, "The council, in their 'infinite' wisdom, won't allow me to sign the execution papers. In fact, they are willing to let him go with little more than a slap on the hand, provided he settles down and revives his clan. They want the Sharingan Kekkai Genkai to run through the village once more…and I can't stop them!" The Gondaime finished her rant and collapsed in her chair, downing yet another bottle of sake. If there was one good thing about the Sannin to be said, it was that she could hold her alcohol quite well.

Sakura sat in her chair, shocked. The council was willing to let that murderer go? Just like that? What was wrong with these people?! Rising slowly, the pink-haired medic nin made her way over to the Hokage's chair and slowly wrapped her arms around the trembling Tsunade. The anguished healer placed her head on Sakura's shoulder, enjoying being comforted.

"When I took this job, I made a promise to protect this Village, with my life if need be, and now, we're welcoming a killer into our midst with open arms. I can't stop the council Sakura, they're too powerful for me to overcome with diplomacy." The Sannin spoke into Sakura's shoulder, "They want their precious Uchiha line back and…" Tsunade couldn't finish, but Sakura knew well enough what she meant, "you've been gone far too long, my student. How I've needed you over the years…" the Gondaime trailed off, and not too long later, a gentle snore broke out over the office. Sakura smiled down at the sleeping old lady, how she had missed Tsunade!

Gently, the Cherry Blossom detached herself from the arms around her neck, placing them on the chair softly, she hoped the Hokage slept for a long time. She was going to need it.

Sakura knew just how dangerous politics in the Hidden Village could be. Assassination plots were being discovered all the time, and council members weren't beneath hiring a few ninja from another village to carry out some shady dealings behind the scenes. Tsunade's life was constantly in danger, in one form or another. Balancing the needs of the people and fighting the power of the council was a hard job. She wished she could stay and watch over the Sannin's slumber, but as of right now, she had to restock her apartment of food and necessities, and pick up new training clothes. Tsunade wouldn't allow her to be idle too many days in a row and all her old training clothes were in tatters from her long journey. It was going to be a busy day.

The medic glanced at the clock hanging on one wall. Nine o'clock, perfect! She would have just enough time to pick up some food for her empty apartment and run by the a few clothing stores. The pack she had been carrying was filled with little else than food for the journey; most of her shorts and shirts had been ripped or torn long ago.

She felt through her pack, a hard wooden object protruding from it. She smiled as she felt it, thinking of the contents inside it, it was already like they were just memoirs from another life.

No! she had no time to be thinking of such things, not when she had a clear list of things to do. First, she would run by her apartment and drop of her few possessions, then she would continue her shopping. Sighing, the Cherry Blossom already wished she could just go to bed, but first things first: apartment, food then clothes.

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"Neji-_kun_! Move!" a maddening voice shouted out as the Hyuga prodigy wordlessly obeyed. Five shuriken slammed into the earth he had just stood on, puffs of dust rising in their wake.

The battle between the four jounin and the brigands was going quite well, sure enough, Naruto was taking out more than his fair share of the opposition, but Neji wasn't complaining about that, less work for him to do. However the one this he was complaining about was the idiotic honorific Tenten kept using.

Kami! How his ears grated every time her girlish voice slapped it on the end of his name. He wished he could just yell at her to stop, tell her how his Sakura would never do such a thing, but he didn't. He never did. Any mention of his best friend's name drove a thousand senbon of pain into his chest. Loneliness encased his spirit as he remembered the day he bid her farewell; he might as well have cut out his own heart and had her take it on the long journey. After that day his heart never seemed to be in his chest.

"Neji-teme! Get your head out of the clouds and help us!" Naruto was speaking, the Hyuga prodigy could tell because he automatically tuned him out. Bandits swarmed around him, five or so. A smirk lifted his upper lip, far too easy.

"Byakugan!" he whispered fiercely, forming the appropriate hand signs. At once, the telltale chakra veins appeared around his pale eyes and ushered him a glimpse of the unseen. Two of the bulky men rushed at him, Neji striking only twice, hit home: right under the arm. Immediately, the two men fell to the ground paralyzed. They wouldn't be moving for a long time.

The third charged him with katana drawn; he swung with a fierce strength, the kind born of desperation, and just barely managed to graze Neji's well-muscled arm. Blood spurted from the shallow cut and hit the ground with a searing _plop. _As fast as a snake, Neji turned and kicked him squarely in the chest, Gentle-Fist style; the man fell forwards and landed on his knees, blood slipping down his chin.

The Hyuga prodigy knew he hit the man's heart and that death would follow shortly, pity constricted his heart, but he turned away and focused on the other two men coming at him. He always hated taking life, but when someone stood in his way or was threatening his friends, he would gladly destroy them.

The other two were finished quickly, little challenge in it for the pale-eyed man and the other bandits, realizing they had absolutely no hope of winning against the Jinchuriki and the Hyuga, ran away like beaten dogs.

"Neji-teme! Good job with that last crook!" Naruto walked up and slapped him hard on the back. The twenty-two year old demon host was as blonde and loud as ever. Neji smiled indulgently, he never minded when Naruto called him a teme, the two had become fast friends in the years of Sakura's journey, becoming close and helping each other get over their best friend's absence.

As the two spoke, Shino and Tenten appeared out of the dark foliage of the trees, Tenten looking much like she did in the genin days and Shino's face continually hidden beneath the high collar of his shirt. Right now the bug master didn't look so good, and Neji's Byakugan eyes saw how low his chakra was. The bugs in him were barely moving in their state of exhaustion. Tenten too was panting heavily, cuts and scrapes, all superficial, were lining her body. But Neji knew they had to get back to the Village very soon if they were to avoid any more problems.

The pale-eyed Hyuga looked up at the sky, noticing the thick rain clouds congregating over the forest. They were still a long ways from home and the last thing any of the exhausted teens wanted to do was camp out in the rain in a forest. 'Damn' Neji silently cursed as he turned to his team and spoke.

"Well everyone, as I see it, we have two options." He spoke directly to Naruto and Shino, trying to avoid the looks Tenten kept shooting at him, "One: we can start back immediately at the full pace, and make it to the Village by noon tomorrow, or Two: we can take a substantially slower pace and be back in two to three days." He raked his eyes over his friends.

Naruto's handsome face was deep in thought; his eyes squeezed shut in true Naruto-fashion. Shino too seemed to be weighing his options behind his dark, thick glasses, but, much to his irritation, Tenten was just looking at him in that annoying way she always did, her heart displayed on her face.

He didn't know what she was looking at; he hadn't changed _very_ much since his genin days. He grew his chocolate-colored hair out a little longer and his face had grown leaner, more angular and handsome, as he had aged over the past five years. His long shirt was cream-colored and sleeveless, the holes for his arms so long and wide that one could see his well-defined arms and chest if the wind blew the right way; he finished off his outfit with a pair of long black nin pants, baggy around the legs, but pulled tight around the ankles. Nowadays he preferred to fight in comfortable clothes, a lesson he had picked up from his cousin, Hinata.

A slight tinge of pink appeared on his pale skin as the thought of 'would Sakura stare at me so?' made his heart beat faster, but Naruto's whining voice snapped him out of his peaceful thoughts.

"Neji-teme! I think we should get to the Village as soon as possible, the faster I get there, the faster I can get Kakashi-sensei to buy me some ramen!" a huge grin broke out over the Jinchuriki's face, also causing Neji to indulge him a small smile.

"Shino-san?" the Hyuga prodigy turned to the bugmaster, "What do you think?" he valued the Aburame's opinion very much; the silent but wise man always gave him sound advice.

The forest was silent for a while as Shino chewed his words carefully.

"I agree with Naruto," he finally said in his quiet but foreboding voice, "Getting back to Konoha should be our top priority." He finished and went back to his own musings. Reluctantly, Neji turned to Tenten, dreading actually talking to her. He used to value her as a teammate, look to her as a friend, but now, as he could see what her true intentions toward him were, he could barely get over the awkwardness caused by speaking to her.

"Tenten-san? Do you agree with the rest of us?" he said it quickly, hoping to extract her answer and go back to ignoring her for the rest of this reprehensible journey. He made sure however, to put emphasis on the honorific he used for her name, a neutral

-san, nothing that would encourage intimacy.

He made eye contact with her, shuddering a bit. Her big brown eyes stared up at him, languid and watery. 'Speak quickly!' he demanded of her in his head. How he hated looking into her eyes, for there he saw the hope she held that he would be hers; a hope he knew could never be, for he had already given his heart away, to a beautiful Cherry Blossom with hair as pink as her namesake.

"Yes, Neji-kun." She whispered clearly, Neji's ears grating at the use of –kun, "Getting back to the Village should be our first priority." She smiled up at him, but he turned away before he could see it.

"Very well then," the Hyuga prodigy said, "Let's get going." The four shapes leapt up into the branches and took off immediately in the direction of their home.

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'UGH!' Sakura thought despairingly as she picked up her packages from the clothing store and made her way home. How she hated shopping!

Before she had set out on her escapade all over the village for groceries, she had stopped to overlook her apartment, pleased that it was only dusty. Hopping in the shower for a little while and coming out clean and sparkling had put her in a semi-good mood, but as soon as she had finished grocery shopping and set out for clothes, her problems had grown exponentially. She simply did not have enough hands for all the bags and boxes she had to carry.

'They should make nin's train this way' she thought angrily as she held on to a myriad of packages and slipped through the five o'clock crowds of Konoha. Rush hour people could be so rude!

"Ah!" she grunted as she tripped over a misplaced rock and stumbled into something, hopefully not a person. Sakura landed on her backside as numerous bags and things fell around her.

"You really should be careful of where your going." An amused familiar voice said above her, but she couldn't place it.

"Yes yes, I know!" she snapped irritably as she bent down to pick up her things. She couldn't see the person's face, but the voice told her it was that of a man.

"Now Sakura! Is that any way to talk to your old sensei?" the voice pretended to be hurt, but Sakura wasn't buying it, she now knew where that voice belonged.

"Kakashi-sensei?" she looked up and saw the familiar gray-headed man, "Kakashi-sensei!" she tackled him in a great bear-hug, squeezing the life out of him, "Oh I missed you so much!"

Laughing, the aging but still strong jounin pulled her off of him.

"Sakura, you have to be careful with that strength of yours, you'll kill someone with it!" he joked, picking up her packages, "Here, I'll help you carry these things home." Nodding her thanks, the pink-haired kunoichi showed him the way.

Perhaps she would even make him dinner. The two laughed and talked of the Rookie Nine, Sakura discovering that all of her friends had made at least jounin by now. But sadly, she learned from her old sensei, Ino had given up on nin work when she couldn't pass the chunin exams the next time around. Apparently, the Copy-Cat nin had told her, the Yamanaka girl now ran her family's flower shop, turning in her hitae-ate three years before Sakura returned. The Cherry Blossom remembered her old friend well, the two had never regained their former closeness, Ino had always been bitter about Sakura's closer relationship with Sasuke. They had always ended their conversations bickering.

As they continued their walk, the talk switched to politics of the Hidden Village and the condition of the Hokage. Sakura told him all she knew of Tsunade's exhausted state and mentioned everything the Gondaime had told her that morning.

"She's right Sakura, the council won't allow Sasuke's death, he must revive his clan." He spoke calmly in true Kakashi-fashion, "The Sharingan, along with the Byakugan, has always been the most highly valued trait of the Village, the council want it back, it's that simple. Sasuke is just a tool to them. A way to gain back the full glory of the Uchiha Clan." He finished and the two walked in silence some more, the red sun beginning to set in the West.

"Kakashi-sensei, have you spoken with him lately? Has he grown much stronger than Naruto?" she asked cautiously. Her love for the Uchiha was long gone, dust caught in the corners of her heart, but her consideration for a former teammate still remained. She would always care for him in that capacity.

"He's much changed Sakura, you wouldn't recognize him." Kakashi spoke sadly of his ex-student, "When he first returned, Naruto and the others wouldn't even look at him, only Ino would visit him. Eventually however, Naruto's good nature won out and he forgave him for everything, but Sasuke hasn't come out of the Uchiha compound once since he came back." Kakashi looked down at Sakura with his one eye, "I visit him too sometimes, although he doesn't speak much anymore." They walked on in silence again, Sakura trying to bury the intense curiosity coming to life inside of her.

"Kakashi-sensei?" she asked quietly, knowing he was there and this was all real, "Will you take me to see him?" she whispered the last part, almost hoping he hadn't heard it. Kakashi shot her a strange look, but quickly recovered himself and gave her a warm smile from under his mask.

"Of course Sakura! He would be delighted to see you. But…" he gave her a warning glance, "Don't expect the old Sasuke, this one is an entirely new breed." Sakura wondered at his last statement, but they had arrived at her apartment. Dropping her bags off, the pair made their way to the Uchiha compound, the twilight deepening as they neared it. The streets were completely deserted and one or two lights coming on, a chill wind blew in from the north, causing Sakura to shudder. Everyone in Konoha knew that a nightly breeze from the north meant rain the next day.

The gate to the main house was open and so was the front door, like the pair was expected to come that night.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi called out, his gray head poking through the door, "Sasuke, I've brought someone to see you. I have a feeling you might want to speak to them as well." The two made their way through the house. Everything was clean, but it all looked completely untouched, like no one was really even living here. The light from the fading sun was the only thing lighting up the dismal house as they continued moving through it.

"Sasuke? Come on Sasuke, please come out, it's me, Kakashi-sensei!" Kakashi called out one more time. Silence greeted them.

A shadow, as thin and dark as a real shadow, stepped out from one wall, completely unseen by either of the two people.

"Ah! Sasuke! There you are!" Kakashi smiled warmly at the shadow, "I've brought your old teammate Sakura to come and see you." He gestured to the Sherry Blossom who looked in awe at the Uchiha. Calmly, the shadow stepped into the fading light and revealed itself.

Sakura had to suppress a gasp of alarm. The once handsome boy she had known was now pale and sickly looking. The thick raven hair all the girls had wanted to run their hands through was now flat, no healthy sheen to it whatsoever. His eyes, ringed with purple like Tsunade's, were devoid of all emotion, giving him a haunted hungry look. Altogether, the once handsome Uchiha had turned into a sickly looking young man.

"Sasuke? What's happened to you?" Sakura sighed softly as she approached the young man for a better look. She wanted to heal him, give him some hope or something, she just couldn't stand the empty look in his eyes, but of all the impressive jutsus she knew, not one had the power to heal the soul of past wrongs. Only forgiveness could do that.

Suddenly, a thought rang clear in Sakura's head. She thought back to what Kakashi-sensei had said, _'Eventually Naruto's good nature won out and he forgave him for everything…'_ Sakura smiled, if she couldn't heal Sasuke's soul herself, perhaps she could at least give him something to help.

Coming even closer, she wrapped her arms around the Uchiha's slight neck, pushing aside all the anger and hatred of him in her heart, she allowed her better nature to reveal itself.

"Sasuke," she began with a heavy sigh, letting it all go, the feelings of abandonment, the sadness and heartbreak, she let it all go in one deep breath. She needed to be just like Naruto, she needed to let her good nature win out against the revenge she wanted to bring down on the Uchiha's head.

'Revenge only causes pain', she thought to herself, 'Look what Sasuke has become in his need for revenge.' She smiled once into Sasuke's hair as she thought of Neji, she needed to do this for him as well. She couldn't allow Sasuke and her anger at him to ruin her relationship with the pale-eyed man.

Letting go of every emotion in her body, letting go of herself too for a minute, she whispered those words she dreaded and yet wanted to say.

"I forgive you."

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, don't be angry if you don't like the pitiful uchiha, I was tired of reading about the same old Sasuke, arrogant and a jerk. So I thought up a slightly new one. Instead of being a hateful proud character, I made him into a pitiful recluse who was just yearning for the forgiveness of his friends. I hope you like the switch. Don't worry though, SakuraXNeji is what I stay true to.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy this chapter, Neji's getting closer to konoha! And no, Sakura will not, for one minute in this story, love Sasuke. This is strictly nejixsaku and all her overtures to Sasuke are meant as one teammate to another.

Chapter Four: A Surprising Proposal

At once, a great weight was lifted off of Sakura's shoulders, she felt like she could fly she was so happy. All the anger and hatred she had felt for the Uchiha disappeared as soon as she had said those words.

A slight shift in Sasuke's neck told the Cherry Blossom that the Uchiha wasn't a statue and as she stood there, arms around his neck, she thought she heard a slight sound, like a heavily muffled sob.

"Sasuke?" she pulled away and looked up into his eyes, smiling cheerfully, "You must promise to take care of yourself now. I'm a busy medic now and I can't spend all my time looking after you." She pulled his head up and met his eyes without flinching. Yes, that sound had been a sob, a few tears were making their way down the young man's pale face and for the first time since she had been there, his eyes had gained back a spark of life. He grabbed at her face, like a drowning man would at a piece of driftwood, clinging to his friend like a lifeline.

"Sakura…Sakura…I'm so sorry…"he buried his head in her shoulder again, like a little lost boy of twelve might do, and sobbed a few times more, "He made me…Orochimaru made me do so many evil things…I wish…I wish I had never left." He was trembling like the little lost boy he had been back in the forest of death, when faced with the terror of his own mortality. Clutching Sakura tighter, he whispered more things fiercely against her shoulder.

"By the time I was strong enough to pursue my brother…I felt as though I was worse than Itachi…I felt as though _I _were evil and deserved to be killed…" tears streamed down the Uchiha's face as he let it all out. The pain of Orochimaru's abuse, the fear of dieing in service to the evil Sannin, and the hatred and anger directed toward the brother he had once loved more than anyone in the world; all of the frustration and helplessness he had hidden from the first, he let out, Sakura comforting him gently in any way she could.

Kakashi, watching his two students' get over their anger and grief together, smiled warmly. He had watched from afar as Sasuke had struggled to assimilate back into his home; watched as Naruto, his best friend, and Ino, the last of his fangirls, had been the only ones to reached out and manage to draw him back slightly into reality. But the lack of acceptance from others was what drove him to become a recluse. Perhaps Sakura would heal him more, help him regain what he once was before Orochimaru had sunk his fangs into him and warped him into some sort of subhuman creature.

Slowly, Sasuke stood straight up, wiping his face dry with the back of his hand.

"Thank you, Sakura, I really needed that." He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes, the Old Uchiha spark coming back. Sakura smiled up at him as well, happy to have been able to help him reclaim something of what was lost forever in the darkness of his own soul. The deeds he had done, those he wouldn't say, would always be with him, but the forgiveness she had given him would smooth over those crags in his mind, make it easier for him to move on and heal.

"Your welcome Sasuke." A sigh escaped Kakashi's lips as Sakura said the words, he was glad that all was now clean between the two of them. Shortly after, the two nins took their leave of the now whole Uchiha.

"Never fear Sasuke!" Sakura cried as she waved farewell, "I'll visit you tomorrow with some Ichiraku ramen, we can wait for Naruto's return together!" she waved even harder, worried about her teammate, "You don't think he'll hurt himself, do you Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura gave him a worried look as she stopped waving. It was getting later and the Cherry Blossom could scarce keep her eyes open from weariness.

"Don't worry Sakura, now that your back and Naruto will be returning soon, he has a lot to live for." He smiled down at her, his lone eye closed in peace. Wordlessly, Sakura nodded and bid her old sensei goodnight. They were practically at her apartment.

"I'll see you tomorrow Sakura!" the old nin called as he vanished in a puff of smoke, Sakura sighed, the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

She entered her dark apartment and immediately shut herself in her bathroom, taking a nice long bath. Her waist length hair floated freely around her in the tub and she enjoyed wearing it down from her troublesome braid.

Tucking herself into bed, her thoughts quickly turned to Neji, when would he return? Surely securing the border from bandits couldn't possibly take this long?

The Cherry Blossom rose from her bed and walked over to her battered old pack; it still held some food from her journey and the hard object she now drew out, it thudded bluntly against the floor as she laid it down and the inside of it rattled as though coins were in it.

The cherry wood case was smooth, large in a way but not heavy, it's gleaming polished surface held Sakura's reflection as she bent close and breathed the scent of it in; it smelled like a forest. Gently, she drew the lid off and looked down. There, laying neatly beside one another in the case, were five Hitai-ates, one from each of the Villages she had visited. Rain, Mist, Cloud, Stone and Sand, all arrayed to show off the symbols they clearly wore in the center of the metal band. She touched each one gently, reverently, remembering how she was given each one as she had left a Village and made her way to another.

The Cherry Blossom smiled softly, promising Neji, even though he couldn't possibly know, to show him her secret case full of wonderful memories when he returned. A yawn broke over her features as she closed the case and crawled into bed, sleep encasing her in a cocoon swiftly.

--

The area around the Compound was still as a pair of swirling red eyes watched the forlorn looking Sasuke bid his friends farewell.

"You think you've rid yourself of me, little brother?" a deep voice hissed maliciously, causing the eyes to swirl more wildly, the sockets narrowing in intense hatred, "You'll find me _much_ harder to get rid of." Slowly, the blood-colored eyes vanished into the approaching dark, a blue shadowed figure following, large sword bound to it's back.

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"Hey Neji-teme!" Naruto's voice called out from the darkness of the trees, the Hyuga prodigy rolled his eyes, but answered back nonetheless.

"Yes Naruto-san? What is it?" he stopped for a moment, hidden by the foliage of a tree. Leaning on one knee, panting heavily, he wondered how much farther it could possibly be. Rain clouds obscured the sun from view, making sure they couldn't even tell what time it was.

"Look! You can see Konoha from up here!" the answer rang out from the top of one of the tallest trees. In an instant, Neji was right next to him, perched on the branch above the Jinchuriki's. Sure enough, hidden almost completely by the hazy moisture-ridden clouds bombarding it, Hokage Mountain and the Village beneath it could be made out. Heart and spirit high, Neji grinned in excitement. He couldn't wait to get back.

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Sakura hated rain. The thick fat drops had started falling right after she had taken her morning shower and gotten dressed for the day, causing her to groan and look about her apartment for her umbrella. She had slept a lot later than she normally did and could tell it wasn't going to be a good day; Kami! She hated rain!

'Why? Why does it have be today?' she foolishly asked no one and made her way out of the apartment, pink umbrella opened wide to the sky. Her black tank top and leggings set off her pink hair, which wasn't tied up in its usual braid, but allowed to hang down her back, hitai-ate acting as a headband much like it did in her genin days. The black nin sandals she wore pattered through the puddles as she turned her steps to Ichiraku ramen.

Placing and purchasing two orders, the Cherry Blossom hurried to the Uchiha compound, she was going to be late, it was almost noon! Why had she slept so late? Asking herself loads of foolish questions, the pink-haired nin ran through the door to Sasuke's house, umbrella askew and long hair dripping wet with the heavy downpour.

"Sasuke?" she called out as she respectfully removed her shoes and made her way into the living room. She set down their orders on one of the tables and continued her way around the house, "Sasuke? Where are you? I brought the ramen!" frantically, she opened and closed doors, fearing the worst. What if he had done something to himself? Hurt or even killed himself? Visualizing the state he was in last night, she didn't find it that hard to believe. This revelation spurred her search on even more.

"Sasuke? Come out here right now!" she commanded in the harshest voice she could muster at the moment. She approached one door, touching the knob tentatively, a muffled sound like laughter coming from the inside. She pressed herself closer to the smooth mahogany wood surface, weighing whether or not to go in. Bracing herself for Sasuke's anger, she turned the handle quickly and walked in.

"Sasuke!" she gasped in alarm, a most unexpected sight greeting her.

Down on the floor, on one knee, was Sasuke, eyes as dead as ever, but substantially healthier looking than the night before, a faint pink blush lighting his cheeks. He was looking up at the girl in front of him, no emotion whatsoever in his steady gaze, no hope or love, nothing.

The robotic Uchiha, was clutching a simple diamond ring of all things, in his left hand, offering it to the figure in front of him. The tall blonde was laughing hysterically in joy, the very sound Sakura had been hearing out in the hallway. With a flash of horror, Sakura recognized the laugh and the long yellow ponytail that sprung from the girl's head. Her tormenter through her genin days and fast friend through her childhood, the very girl she had looked up to for a long time.

"Ino-pig."

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll update asap!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Hey everyone! I hope you guys like the ending on the last one; I told you it wasn't going to be a Sasu/Saku. Neji's coming back in this one, and yes, I will have them meet very soon, I'm just having a bit of trouble writing it. Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Five: Rain of Happiness

"Sakura?" the blonde turned at hearing her old nickname, "Sakura!" she ran over and tackled the bewildered girl in a hug, "I see you've caught us, Sasuke-kun promised me a big surprise the next time I came over!" she cackled and winked grotesquely at the emotionless Uchiha, who had now risen to stand.

Ino hadn't changed much over the last few years. She was taller of course, and looked like a young twenty-two year old, but she wasn't in nin clothes anymore, no bandages wrapped around her muscled legs or shuriken holster strapped to her thigh, no Konoha Hitai-ate tied securely to her arm, just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, a Yamanaka flower shop apron tied around her slim frame. But traces of the old nin habits were still there. She still kept her hair tied up in the same ponytail she wore before she had cut it in the first Chunin exams, and the way she stood and moved bespoke of an easy grace only hours of training could attain and nothing could ever get rid of. But right now, Sakura wasn't focused on her old friend's appearance.

"Sasuke…Ino…" she gasped, completely confused. The ring, Sasuke down on one knee, only an idiot couldn't read this situation. Sasuke marrying_**Ino**_? What was happening?! A sick feeling, like that of jealousy was digging into Sakura's heart. What was this emotion?

A thin thread of uncertainty was needling itself deeper into Sakura's inner self. Internally mystified at her own emotions, Sakura trailed her thoughts to her feelings. Was she jealous? Did she still harbor, somewhere in her heart, feelings for her lost teammate? ……No… she was sure she did not love him anymore. She had purged herself of that emotion a long time ago.

'I know I don't love him,' she mused confusedly, 'But how could he ever be happy with _her_?' The thought of reclusive, quiet Sasuke sentenced to spend the rest of his life with gossip mongering, chatty Ino, was enough to make Sakura's head spin. How on earth could they make it work? Why? Why had he chosen her? Then it came to Sakura, a memory of the Hokage's words, weaving their way into her mind…

_"…They're willing to let him go with little more than a slap on the hand, provided he settles down and revives his clan. They want the Sharingan Kekkai Genkai to run through the Village once more…" _Sakura pieced the puzzle in her mind together, when Kakashi's words came to her as well, the very ones he had spoken the night before, ringing throughout her psyche…

_"…When he first returned, Naruto and the other's wouldn't even look at him, only Ino would visit him…"_ Kakashi-sensei's lazy voice broke through her thoughts, helping her make sense of this situation. Compassion for her teammate flitted into her soul, as did the realization of what Sasuke was doing.

Sakura finally understood. The piteous Saskuke didn't have a long amount of time to make a choice of a wife. He didn't have the luxury of finding someone he truly loved or taking the time to arrange a match between one of the other clans. If he didn't settle down with someone and revive his clan soon, the council would take his life, and who better to marry quickly than Ino, the only one who had looked after him when he first returned from the horrors of Orochimaru's Hidden Village.

The Uchiha's choice may not make sense to anyone else in the Village, but to Sakura it did: Sasuke had selected from the limited options he possessed. Pity overflowing in her heart, the Cherry Blossom slapped a spirited smile on her face for her friends, returning Ino's warm hug with a fervor.

"I wish you both happiness and long years together!" she said cheerfully, returning Ino's hug and walking over to Sasuke, wrapping her arms around him as well. He may not love Ino, but the Cherry Blossom knew he would treat her with respect and honor, and perhaps, after a time, love might grow.

"Sakura!" Ino cackled out with glee, "You're going to have to help me plan everything! I want you to be my maid of honor, I wouldn't even consider anyone else for the position!" Dancing around the room, Ino was ecstatic with happiness and grew even more so when Sakura accepted, "Ooh…we'll have to pick a date together and everything, Sasuke-kun! What do you think of sometime in the autumn?" one could see the thought process of Ino Yamanaka if one looked close enough, she wore all her feelings in her eyes. But without missing a beat, the silent figure answered.

"Next week." The Uchiha said simply, leaving no room for argument. For a second, Sakura thought she hadn't heard him right.

"What was that Sasuke-kun?" Ino stammered out, dazed for a second, "I'm not sure I heard what you said." The blonde gave a nervous chuckle, but Sakura knew her friend had heard him as well as she did, she herself, couldn't believe what Sasuke was saying. How were they going to plan a wedding in a week?

"I said 'Next week'," the Uchiha repeated, "At the Hokage's office. She'll marry us quickly and quietly. We'll only need one or two witnesses." He finished speaking and met Ino's flattened gaze with a steady one of his own.

"But…but…" moments ago, Ino had been ecstatic with joy, now she was close to tears, "but what about the guests and the flowers and the ceremony…" she wasn't the fired up Ino Sakura had remembered, she wasn't even trying to put up a fight.

"All unnecessary, we need to be married quickly." Sasuke stated calmly and a bit forcefully, like he was tired of Ino arguing her point, "You know my situation as well as I Ino, the council will not tolerate my fiancée's desire to wait and plan a large wedding. The faster you and I are married and begin producing children, the sooner we will be safe from the council's power." Sasuke reasoned quietly, gazing deep into Ino's eyes, trying to make her understand the precariousness of their situation.

Sakura watched with a little bit of fear as Ino meekly nodded her head and accepted Sasuke's answer. The Cherry Blossom wondered at the power of the council, with their threatening the Uchiha into having heirs. How deep had their corruption spread in her absence?

Sakura turned to meet Sasuke's eyes, seeing all things left unsaid. She saw his anger at the council, his fear of losing his life, and his uncertainty about dragging innocent Ino into this big mess. She also saw the hope there too, the hope that if Ino got pregnant and safely carried the child to term, they may all be free of the power looming over their heads. Sakura closed her eyes, imagining what would happen if they couldn't produce offspring.

Once again, reading all those books Tsunade had given her allowed the medic nin to know the horrible punishment awaiting her two friends if they couldn't comply to the council's wishes. Ino, as Sasuke's wife and partner in all things, no matter how guiltless and innocent would be executed along with him if proved to be barren. Sakura prayed such a thing never came to pass.

'O Kami! Let them have many children, so they may be safe from the council's corruption!' Sakura silently wished, believing that they would find happiness soon. She looked up once more into Sasuke's bleak eyes, seeing a tiny spark of hope there. She gave him a warm smile full of optimism, letting it convey a message, 'I'll always be your friend, no matter what may come to pass.' She hoped he had understood.

He too smiled, 'Thank you, Sakura.' Getting her smile's meaning perfectly.

Wet rain splattered down into Neji's shirt as he landed on the small patch of grass outside the gates to the Village. It had been a tiring journey for each of the four jounin, their endurance pushed to the limit. Even Naruto, whose energy had been boundless for the whole trip, had been struggling to keep up towards the end.

"C'mon Neji-teme! Let's go already!" Naruto lurched up from bending over to catch his breath and tugged on the Hyuga's shirt, "The faster we get to grandma-Tsunade and report, the faster we can all rest…" he trailed off in his state of exhaustion, but the pale-eyed man agreed with him whole-heartedly. A nice bath and a warm bed sounded like heaven right now to the handsome Hyuga.

"You're right Naruto-san," he stopped panting and entered the gates, "We need to go report our mission as completed." Taking long powerful strides, the Jinchuriki and the Hyuga both made their way into the Village, Tenten and Shino following tentatively.

"Goodbye Sakura!" Ino called, waving like a mad woman at the receding back of her friend, "We expect to see you at the ceremony!" Waving back, Sakura called out a loud "Of Course!" before making her way down the street leading away from the Uchiha compound.

It was still raining, probably would be tomorrow with the look of the clouds, and her stomach was rumbling in hunger. She had managed to grab her ramen off of the table in the Uchiha living room before bidding her friends farewell and heading out into the storm, thunder rumbling threateningly above her. But instead of ripping into her noodles, she decided to surprise the Hokage.

Running by Ichiraku Ramen again, she picked up some for the Sannin, wanting to spend some quality time with her ex-sensei. She just hoped she didn't find her asleep on her desk, sake bottle in hand; she hated that Tsunade drank whenever problems surrounded her. That was the time one needed to be clear thinking, not intoxicated, but she knew that the Hokage dealt with certain things differently than others would.

Sighing to herself, Sakura ran through the rain, hair and clothes getting wetter and wetter by the minute. Her umbrella was hanging from one hand limply; she couldn't run properly if she held it above her head. The ungainly pink thing caught every breeze that came and pulled her back as a sail would do with the boat it's attached to. Stopping for a moment and snapping the thing shut, she continued on her way, faster now that the umbrella wasn't impeding her.

Sprinting up the steps into the tower, she rushed by the guards again, ignoring their protests, she was Tsunade's old apprentice; they should know she wasn't coming to hurt the old Sannin!

Barreling down the long hallway to the Hokage's office, trailing water from her free-swinging hair, she gave a small giggle of laughter at the large oak double doors that greeted her. They had replaced the old ones so fast! Oh well, the carpenters were going to have their hands full again. She summoned chakra to her foot, smirking in evil satisfaction, her leg from the knee down glowing an intense green as she prepared herself for the impact and the Hokage's anger.

Silently laughing already at the look she was expecting to see on The Gondaime's face, Sakura ran at the double oak doors and with a great airborne kick, sent them flying to pieces again. Chunks of wood flew around her wild hair and face, barely missing her as she flew through the door on her own momentum and landed gracefully, the ramen clutched securely in one hand, pink umbrella in the other. Her long hair fell in her eyes, obscuring her view of the room as she stood up straight and made sure the ramen was intact.

"Tsunade-sensei!" she cried as she burst through, "Look! I brought ramen!" she looked up, setting her umbrella down to move the wet strands of pink from her face. But instead of seeing the room before her, all she caught a glimpse of was a blonde spiky head running at her and two cerulean eyes right in front of her green ones.

"Sakura-chan!" an obnoxious voice yelled out as two strong arms encircled her waist, lifting her off of the ground and swinging her around. Shocked, the flushed Cherry Blossom dropped the ramen on the floor and gave her blonde friend a huge hug back, cracking his back in several places. The blonde demon host just laughed and squeezed harder, enjoying hugging his best friend again, hoping that this wasn't just some sick dream.

"Naruto! Naruto I'm glad to see you too!" she too was laughing in happiness, joyful that her friend had safely returned from his mission. She was so ecstatic, she couldn't remember being this happy in a long time…

'Wait!' her mind screamed out for a second, jarring her back into a rational thought process, 'if Naruto is back, then that means that…' she looked up from the Jinchuriki's wide strong shoulders, and met the moon-pale eyes of the handsome man standing before her.

"Neji-san…"

I hope you enjoyed it! i'll update asap, just let me know if you like how it's going or not!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Hey everybody, some reviews would be appreciated…w/e. Here's some fluff for ya…by the way xXHyugaSakuraXx…I'm not much of a Tenten fan either, she seems to kiss up to Neji **a lot. **And I wish people would pair her off with other characters. In most fics I've read that aren't nejixsakura, its always nejixtenten. But I can see where they're coming from. Here you are enjoy…

Chapter Six: Reunited

Jade met Pearl as the two pair of eyes clashed, Sakura standing there with her mouth hanging open.

"Neji-san?" she asked again, removing her arms from around Naruto's neck as though in a dream and approaching the handsome man slowly.

The Hyuga prodigy himself was at a loss for words, his mouth agape. Sakura was here, _his_ Sakura, was standing right in front of him. His heart was leaping right out of his chest, as though trying to reach out to hers. She had grown her hair long again and it framed her delicate face beautifully. He sensed her chakra had also grown, pride lighting his eyes.

'She's incredible,' he thought to himself as he finally recovered from the shock, 'Her power has become twice of what it once was.' He smiled slowly; his body finally seemed to allow him movement. But before he could react to his desire to actually speak, a pink-haired medic nin was throwing herself in his arms.

"Neji!" Sakura cried as she flung her arms about his waist and pulled him to her, feeling safe as he too wrapped his strong arms around her, "I've missed you so much! I have tons to tell you!" she pulled away for a second, looking up into his Hyuga eyes and smiling, a light seeming to emanate from her. She looked radiant to the handsome man, so happy and cheerful, just like the Sakura he had said goodbye to five years ago.

"Sakura," he removed a few strands from her face, strands that had been blocking his view of her effervescent emerald eyes. They held so many sparks, it was a wonder fire wasn't pouring out of her eyes, "I've missed you as well." His eyes expressed his message.

Sakura gave him another fierce hug, and for once in a very long time, actually felt safe wrapped in his well-muscled arms. His shortly worded greeting didn't bother her much, she knew that the Hyuga was a man of very few words, he didn't really like to talk much in public, but once one got him alone he was very avid about getting his points across. She had relished taking missions with him; they had always found so much to talk about when it was just the two of them.

"AHEM!" the Hokage cleared her throat loudly, faking a cough for added drama, "Sakura, I hate to interrupt your reunion with Neji-san and Naruto-teme, but they were just finishing their report to me about their latest mission." The Gondaime looked over at Tenten, who was shooting shuriken out of her eyes at Sakura, still grasped warmly in Neji's arms, "Please Tenten-san, continue."

In halting sentences at first, the weapon's mistress continued her recount of the events, gazing longingly over every now and then at the Hyuga and his friend. The two were talking quietly under their breath, their foreheads touching in an effort to make sure they didn't interrupt Tenten's report to the Hokage. Every now and then, one of Neji's soft smiles could be seen, or one of Sakura's breathy giggles could be heard as the two old friends caught up. The jealous brown-eyed girl finished hastily, skimping over some details, as she grew angrier and angrier.

"Thank you Tenten-san," Tsunade finished, writing something down on a piece of paper, "All of you may go now, I'll summon you the moment you have another mission." Slowly, an excited Sakura, Neji and Naruto filed out of the room, following a silent Shino and a jealous Tenten.

"Wait Sakura!" the Gondaime cried out just as the pink-haired nin was following her friends out the door, "I need to speak with you, it cannot wait another moment." She gestured to a chair waiting in a corner, "Neji-san and Naruto-san, you may go." With another wave of her hand she dismissed them, giving a waiting look to Sakura.

The Cherry Blossom reluctantly bid Naruto and Neji goodbye, meeting the Hyuga's eyes in farewell, she saw the emotions there that he dare not speak of and gave him a warm encouraging smile.

"I'll catch up with you two later, ne?" she giggled at the downtrodden looks of the boys as she waved once and walked back into the Hokage's office, drawing up the chair close to the desk, "Yes Tsunade-sensei? What is it?" she cautiously met the eyes of the old Sannin, unsure of what she would see there.

A coy grin broke out over the stony countenance of the Gondaime.

"Sakura! For shame!" the Hokage grinned at the blushing Cherry Blossom, "I didn't know you and Neji were _that_ close! Did you see the look on Tenten's face? She was ready to strangle you!" Tsunade threw back her blonde and gray head, laughing for pure joy.

"Stop it Tsunade-sensei!" Sakura tried desperately to quiet her, blushing and giggling at the same time, "He'll hear you! He'll hear you!" she laughed along with her sensei, feeling truly good for the first time since she had gotten back to the Hidden Village. All seemed right with the world.

But the laughing ended as the Gondaime managed to compose herself and clear her throat loudly; signaling Sakura's laughter should stop as well.

"Back to business," she leveled her gaze at the medic nin and drew an air of urgency around her, "The reason I wanted you to stay was because I have a mission of the greatest importance for you. I know I told you that you would have a short break before we restarted your missions, but it appears something very serious has come up." The Gondaime's voice deepened with worry as she told her story, "I sent the rest of the Rookie Nine on a mission to Suna over a week ago, to help the Kazekage with some rogue nins from Kirigakure who were destroying some of the smaller Villages in the Land of the Wind," the Hokage paused, emitting a deep sigh as though recollecting events she didn't wish to remember.

"The nins however, were keepers of a series of forbidden jutsus, all dealing with very deadly viruses that destroy the body as well as the mind, they had been spreading plague it seems, throughout Wind in an attempt to weaken Sunagakure. Their mission itself was a success, your friends managed to annihilate the shinobi responsible, but in the midst of battle, Kiba, Hinata and Shikamaru were all infected with one of the deadly viruses. Apparently, one of the rogues used one of the forbidden jutsus as a last-ditch effort to kill as many people as possible in the surrounding area."

The Hokage pulled out a sheet of paper from one of the many lying around on her desk, shooting Sakura a very worried look, "The Kazekage managed to have the three transported back to one of Suna's hospitals, but none of their medics are qualified enough to heal them. I myself would go, but I cannot leave the Village, I have too many responsibilities. You however, are even more skilled at healing then I am, and completely able to make the journey." The Gondaime studied the piece of paper seriously, "But since I did give you time off, you are allowed to choose whether or not you wish to serve the Leaf." She gave her apprentice a pleading look, "Please Sakura, they need you," she looked at the piece of paper in her hands once more before handing it over to the shocked Cherry Blossom, "These are the symptoms the Kazekage's medics reported, and even they are qualified to know that the three don't have very much time left." The Gondaime slipped the piece of paper over into one of Sakura's trembling hands.

"Tsunade-sensei…" Sakura whispered, a little afraid at the task before her, she gazed dazedly at the piece of paper. Small rips and tears graced it, worn out from being handed messenger to messenger on the long road to Konoha. The black words were still legible however, and written in the easily recognizable, scrawling hand of Gaara. Sakura gave a small smile, the redhead's standoffishness had always made her want to reach out to him, and after a while, the two had developed a timid sort of friendship.

Her hungry green eyes raced over the page, the symptoms sounded like something from a nightmare, incredibly high fever, so high that the bodies of the three unfortunate nins had to be laid in large tubs filled to the brim with ice, a black substance that could only be decaying lung tissue was constantly being coughed up and the whole of the body was covered in huge painful sores, oozing thick greenish yellow pus. Sakura gasped as she finished reading, holding her hand over her mouth in absolute horror.

"I know…the symptoms are horrific, but that is why I'm asking you to go, surely you can heal them!" Tsunade's amber eyes glowed with confidence and pride in her young apprentice, "So Sakura? Is it going to be a yes or a no?" hope filled the Gondaime's eyes; so much that it hurt Sakura to look. Fear gripped the Cherry Blossom's heart, what it she failed? Her friends would be sentenced to a death so painful, it would make Sasuke's curse seal look like a pleasant day at the beach. But how on earth could she say no? They were her friends, and right now they needed her, regardless of if she failed or not.

'Besides,' Sakura thought, gaining back some of her rock-hard confidence, 'I'm the best medic in Konoha and Suna, if I can't heal them, then possibly nothing could.' This thought brought renewed faith in her healing skills, but it brought renewed fear; if Sakura couldn't heal the three nins, then there were no other alternatives, they would most certainly die.

"Tsunade-sensei…" Sakura whispered again, taking a shaky breath, "Of course I'll go! How could I possibly not?" she gave a smile that was more confident that she was and met the amber eyes that were scrutinizing her face. A great sigh was released from the Hokage's chest as her shoulders slumped in reprieve.

"Thank you Sakura," she smiled in pure relief, "But I must ask you to leave the Village as soon as you can pack." She saw the look of disappointment cross over Sakura's eyes only for a moment before it was replaced with acceptance, "Don't worry about not getting to spend time with Naruto and Neji, I'll send the two right along after you tomorrow, but I think they earned the right to rest tonight." She gave her apprentice an encouraging smile, the worries she was thinking about hiding just behind her mask of confidence. What if it was too much for Sakura? The Gondaime didn't want her daughter-like student to have to feel the pain she felt as she had failed at saving Dan and her brother, it was just too much for such a young woman to bear. Yet another thought clouded the Sannin's mind, what if the disease was contagious? The three nins, she knew already from Gaara's report, were kept carefully quarantined in their caskets of ice, but when Sakura went to do the healing, what if she too caught it? If she couldn't stop the virus from ravaging her friends, she would certainly be unable to save herself. Concern filling every pore of her being, the Hokage handed over the necessary paperwork to the Cherry Blossom and dismissed her. They could all only hope for the best.

Waving goodbye to the Sannin, Sakura made her way out of Hokage Tower, the horrid piece of paper clutched in one hand. Running down, the stairs, she looked up, and saw the two people she wished to see most.

Naruto gave a big grinning wave, while Neji simply gazed at her, his greeting conveyed by his beautiful eyes.

Sighing, she trudged down the stairs to meet them, the pouring rain quickly soaking her thoroughly.

"I have a mission." She began, "I'll be gone in Suna for a while, some people need healing." She left out huge portions of the details. The less they worried about her now, the better. Tsunade would explain everything appropriately when the time came for them to follow. She tried to avoid the looks Neji and Naruto were giving her, "Don't worry! I'll only be gone a little while, by the latest, I'll be back by the end of next week." She tried to give them an encouraging smile as she made her way down the muddy streets, her apartment was close, and she needed to begin packing.

"Sakura-chan! We just got back!" Naruto whined a little, his voice much deeper than she remembered it, "I wanted to train with you!" he complained, Sakura just chuckled and bopped him on the back of the head lightly.

"I told you baka, Tsunade needs me to go to heal some villagers, and I'll be back as soon as I can." She smiled at him, "I'll even treat you to some ramen!" she promised, bribing him out of his bad mood.

The Jinchuriki gave a reluctant "Hai." Before continuing his own way down the rain-swept streets.

"I'm going to Ichiraku, Neji-teme, you in?" he looked over at the Hyuga who was paying attention to Sakura. The pale-eyed man shook his head slowly.

"Fine…" the blonde shook his head as well, but in disbelief, "I can't believe you don't want any ramen!" He looked over at his pink-haired friend, " Sakura, I'll see you when you get back! Be careful, I want to spar with you as soon as you return!" he quickly gave her a rib-breaking hug before running down the road to the lit up ramen stand, Sakura waving goodbye sadly, she didn't know if she was coming back and the thought of never seeing her home again frightened her. Steeling her resolve, she and the Hyuga silently walked on down the sidewalk to her small home. Reaching the door, he softly brushed her arm with his hand.

"Sakura…" Neji spoke the name tenderly, his heart full of worry. He was scared for her, but was also afraid to let her know how he really felt. However, he also knew the beautiful woman in front of him was hiding something. He knew her well enough to know when she was withholding information, "Are you prepared to tell me what you are really going to be doing in Suna?" he gave her a look with his all-seeing eyes.

The Cherry Blossom's heart did a little dance as she unlocked the door and felt his calloused hand caressing the lily-white skin of her arm. She sighed, he knew her too well to hide the truth.

"Come inside, I don't want anyone else to hear." She ushered him into her small apartment, closing the door and locking it behind them, "Do you want something? Tea or Water?" she didn't want him to worry, the whole point of her not telling the two boys the truth was so they would not worry!

"I would like the truth." He said simply and caught her hand in his own, drawing her down to the couch in her small living room. The room was a creamy white, pale blue curtains framing the windows and soft blue cushions decorating the window seat that allowed one to look out onto the Village. The pale blue couch had the same cushions on it, one of which was clutched to Sakura's breast as she worriedly looked up at the Hyuga, still holding his hand. She didn't know how to tell him, he had a personal stake in this; his cousin was in serious danger of losing her life. Wordlessly, she handed him the slip of paper Tsunade had given her.

Pearl eyes poured over the page, devouring its contents quickly.

"What is this?" he asked, handing the page back to her, "Is this what your going to heal? Some diseased that's overtaking Sand?" curiosity blanketed his features as he gazed at Sakura, who was looking anywhere but at him. When she finally dared to meet his eyes again, fear could be seen just hovering around the edges of them.

"No Neji-san, there are only three afflicted with such a horrible disease…" she paused, wording her phrases carefully, "Shikamaru, Kiba and …Hinata…" she finished, thinking of how hard it was just to say those three simple names.

"Hinata?" he asked softly, as though he couldn't believe what she was saying, "One of my own is…dying…of this atrocious virus?" he gestured angrily to the page, reading of the symptoms had almost made him sick, such a horrible way to die and so slowly…he shuddered as he thought of it. But then another thought entered his mind.

'Sakura will be exposed to it during the healing!' his heart jumped out of his chest as it began pounding, 'She may be susceptible to it…that's why she wouldn't tell us any of the details.' He looked sadly over at the Cherry Blossom.

"She may not die…" Sakura said softly, "If the healing goes successfully, then she can return home by the end of the week." She looked up hopefully at Neji, just realizing how close they were. The breath from his slightly parted lips was causing the few strands of hair on her forehead to dance across her field of vision.

"But _you_ may be put into danger." He answered her remark sternly, "I take it that no one knows how contagious the disease may be?" he knew he had guessed right when he saw her look down guiltily, the red diamond in the middle of her forehead catching the light. But suddenly, she looked straight up into his eyes, challenging him.

"I am a medic of Konogakure and I am bound by duty to serve my Village in any way I can." She was angry now, angry at the guilt that Neji was making her feel. So what if the disease was dangerous, what was she supposed to do? Abandon her friends to die? No! "Right now, my Village needs me to try and save the lives of three very valued shinobi, one of which is your cousin! Do not try and make _me_ feel afraid or guilty Neji Hyuga!" she glared at him, causing him to flinch slightly. She was right, they were all bound by duty to Konoha, and her Village was now calling on the vows she had made when she had become a shinobi.

"You're right," he sighed and looked down at her. She was so close; he could smell the scent of her white skin and feel her breath upon his chest. He was much taller than he had been five years ago, now she barely reached his shoulder. Her lips were parted, pink as her hair and her skin still bore the flush from her bout of anger.

'Beautiful.' He thought, as he restrained himself from kissing her. he didn't want to complicate matters between the two of them until he was sure of her feelings. Kissing her now ran the chance of ruining their friendship, and that was the last thing he wanted to do, "I apologize Sakura, I'm just a little worried."

The Cherry Blossom calmed down a little, the smell of him permeating the air around her. Mentally, she smiled, he smelled like a day out in the sun, warm and cheery, fresh air braided into his hair. She rose reluctantly; it was time to start packing. With luck she could leave tonight and make it there by morning.

"I have to pack, will you and Naruto see me off?" she looked up hopefully, her green eyes boring a hole into Neji's heart.

'She's so brave,' he thought, wanting to reach out and hold her close. For once, his body actually listened.

Reaching out his well-made arms, the Hyuga drew his friend to his chest, smiling as he felt her arms go around his waist.

"Of course Naruto and I will be there, do you think we'd let you go so easily?" he smiled into her hair and softly, so softly that she couldn't feel it, kissed the very top of her head. He let himself slip just this one time.

Sakura rested her head peacefully against the Hyuga's strong chest, enjoying the feel of him around her. She wished she could just stay there, safe from the world that was demanding her help.

"Promise me you'll be safe?" he asked, drawing away to look into her jade eyes, knowing he would find the answer he wanted.

"Yes…" the Cherry Blossom sighed like a little girl, pretending to pout but giggling instead, "Will you let me go pack now? I can't be late!" she laughed a little as she pushed him off and went into her room, "Meet me by the gates at five sharp! I'll be leaving with or without you!" She called from her room. A soft "Hai" and the click of the door told her that the Hyuga had left, loneliness entering her apartment after his departure. Snapping herself out of her thoughts of Neji, she flew into action.

Her new training clothes, followed by some healing scrolls and other traveling necessities were flung into the small pack that had just been emptied the day before. Food pills, Chakra pills, everything, was deposited into the black backpack. Glancing at the clock, she scurried into her bathroom.

She undressed rapidly and leapt into the shower, she needed to hurry; it was already going on four o'clock! Flying out of the steamy bathroom and throwing on a black tight shirt with some black long shorts, she slipped a red jacket with a high collar on over her tight fitting outfit. Traveling in the rain was brutal; it was a good thing she was going to the desert.

As her hair dried, she restocked her kunai and shuriken holsters, cleaning and sharpening the dulled blades, dried blood and rust had ravaged the once sharp knives and stars, causing her to sigh in dismay at the huge cleaning task ahead of her. She finished just as it was time to head out.

After whipping her hair into a braid and securely strapping on her sandals and pack, her finishing touch, the Hitai-ate of Konoha, was fastened to her brow. She was ready to leave.

The Cherry Blossom locked the door as she turned to go, summoning chakra into her feet as she leapt from building to building. Gazing about at the rain-drenched Village, her heart leapt at the thought of returning in time for Sasuke and Ino's "wedding". Swearing on the diamond on her brow, she vowed she would return by next week.

Come hell or high water.

I hope you enjoyed that, I'll update asap! Keep up the reviews.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

New Chapter read enjoy. By the way, there is going to be a little Sasuke/Ino fluff, but I'm doing this for a good reason, you'll find out in later chapters, those of you who love Sasuke-bashing. So stomach you nausea and read through it, don't worry, bad things happen to this pairing later on. If you'll recall this is an Akatsuki fic(in the sense that it involves Itachi and another certain Akatsuki member)….(that was a hint…)

Chapter Seven: Blood-soaked Kisses

Sakura raced through the Village, long braid flying like a banner out behind her and her shoes making rhythm on the long muddy streets of Konoha. Her red jacket collar kept her face from getting hit by the rain, but other than that, she was soaked to the skin. It was going to be a horrible night's run to Suna.

Her pale legs were streaked with dark mud, and her sandals were sodden and squishy from leaping over puddles. The Cherry Blossom hated rain!

'Neji and Naruto _better_ be there…' she thought dangerously, 'I _refuse_ to wait around in this rain for them!' summoning chakra to her feet; she leapt up a wall and onto the top of a building, continuing her running from there. The Gates were in sight now, and the forest behind them was visible as well. Sakura sighed contentedly; the tall trees would offer slightly more shelter from the rain than the wide-open sky.

Pumping a little more chakra to her feet, she descended from the tops of buildings and began running on the street again, stopping just short of the huge Gates of Konoha. Just as she had hoped, Naruto and Neji were tucked up under the small guard outpost, the same one where she had left them five years ago. Smiling, she ran up under it with them, a little cramped at the confined space, but happy to be out of the downpour.

She looked up at her two handsome friends, so close in the small space that she could smell the scent of fresh ramen rolling off of Naruto. She gazed up at the blonde, his orange and black outfit plastered to his body by the rain.

"Goodbye Naruto…" she said sadly, hugging him with a sigh, but as the Jinchuriki returned her hug, he slipped a small package into her hand. The Cherry Blossom looked down at the white-paper wrapped square, barely bigger than her palm.

Confusedly, she wordlessly gestured to the package, meeting Naruto's eyes in interest.

"Please, if you see Hinata-chan…" he looked down pleadingly at Sakura, "Will you give this to her? I can't wait until she returns to give it to her myself, but I was hoping that if you go, you can slip it to her sometime." he looked so cute, like a little child almost, and, for a moment, Sakura was glad that she hadn't told him about Hinata's condition.

'Since when has he cared so much for Hinata-san?' Sakura thought, 'Much more has happened since I was gone than I thought!'

Smiling up at the blonde, she nodded and placed it gently in one of the pockets of her backpack. She turned to hug Neji, when Naruto caught her hand and placed something hard and metal into it.

"This is for you, I think it might help with the healing you have to go and perform." He said softly, wrapping Sakura's fingers around the object. Holding the thing close to her face, in the dim light of the outpost, she could just make out a flower, Sakura Blossom of course, small and made of a fine metal. It reeked strongly of both Naruto and Neji's chakra.

"What is this?" a string was attached to it, fashioning it into a sort of necklace. Gently, the medic nin placed it around her neck; the feel of the boys' chakra around her neck was comforting, it made her feel safe.

"I got it for you at the market today, I decided to get you a present before going to Ichiraku!" Naruto grinned sheepishly, hand behind his head, "While we were waiting for you, Neji-teme and I infused some of our chakra into it." He gestured over to the silent Hyuga, "If you ever need an extra boost of energy, or run out of your own chakra, you can call upon ours by holding on to the flower. We placed enough in there to heal a bunch of people, isn't that right Neji-teme?" the hyper blonde glanced over at his friend, who still had yet to say a word. Slowly, the Hyuga nodded.

"Thank you Naruto… this means a lot to me!" Sakura, focusing on keeping her eyes dry, gave the Jinchuriki a ferocious hug, almost strangling the life out of him. She turned to Neji, pale eyes locking on to hers, conveying things yet to be said.

"Goodbye Neji-san," Sakura whispered into his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, smelling the rain in his hair. He too wrapped his arms around her, but he said nothing, just took a deep breath in, like a reverse sigh. He seemed uncertain of what he should do, but Sakura could wait no longer. She had a mission to complete. Slowly and reluctantly, she let go, feeling a little rejected that he had remained silent.

The Cherry Blossom smiled once more at the pair and stepped back out into the downpour, the cold rain falling on her neck and giving her a chill. Two pairs of eyes stared back at her from the darkness of the shed, watching the hazy rain swallow up her figure that was slowly marching to the gates.

"Wait!" the Hyuga's voice sounded out, "Wait Sakura!" he ran out as well, the torrent immediately darkening his shirt and plastering his hair to his pale skin. Running up to Sakura, he held her to his chest, so close as though he would never hold her again. He breathed in deeply again, taking in her scent, fresh air and flowers. The rain fell around them, lulling them into a peaceful state. Looking down at her, the handsome Hyuga wished he could hold her forever, safe and warm in his arms.

"Promise me…" he began, holding her face in his hands and making her look up at him, "Promise me you'll be careful. Promise me you'll return to me safe and sound." He intensely gazed into her eyes, a little taken aback when she smiled up at him serenely. She drew in even closer, as though sharing a great secret.

"Neji-san, there's nothing to worry about." That mysterious smile again, "I'm not really supposed to tell you, but…Tsunade-shishou is sending you after me tomorrow." She mischievously locked on to his eyes, "Don't tell Naruto, and please, will you at least _try_ to act surprised when the Hokage gives you the mission? Like I said, you're not really supposed to know. It was supposed to be a surprise!" she seemed a little miffed that the surprise was off, but glad that Neji no longer looked so worried. She didn't want to cause him a sleepless night, especially after he just returned from a tiring mission.

A relieved grin broke across the handsome man's face, at least now he could protect her when he arrived. Sighing, relaxed, the Byakugan-wielder drew her in for another close hug, knowing he would have to let her go soon.

"I must go Neji-san, your cousin and the others are waiting." Sakura mumbled weakly against his shoulder, a half-hearted protest. She really didn't want to let go, the warmth radiating off of the Hyuga made her feel secure in the cold rain falling from the skies. Gently, the pale-eyed man released her, nodding once in acknowledgement of her request. Stepping back, Sakura too inclined her head, waving once more to both boys before pivoting on her heel and heading out into the damp woods waiting for her. Just as she left the Village gates, a new chakra signature made her aware of someone approaching Neji and Naruto, definitely female and strong.

Glancing back just once as she hit the first branches of the trees to check on her friends and their new arrival, she saw Naruto leaning precariously against the guard outpost and a slim figure, that of a young woman, with two brown buns just like Tenten's, handing something to Neji. Sighing longingly, the Cherry Blossom put it out of her mind and made her way to the Sand.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The languid- eyed Tenten handed the small slip of paper over to the Hyuga, glancing up at him shyly as she did so. Carefully, Neji avoided making eye contact with her and read the note with haste.

"It's from the Hokage," the brunette informed, answering his unspoken question, "She sent an ANBU operative to me just a few moments ago and he told me to give this to you or Naruto as soon as possible." She finished and smiled her best smile up at the reading Neji, but he forcefully ignored her, turning his attention to the page below.

Quickly and efficiently, Neji's eyes covered the short page:

_Hyuga-san and Uzumaki-san, _

_Report to the Hokage's office at dawn, prepared for a weeklong journey to Sunagakure. I expect you both to be there on time for mission briefing._

A single leaf, like on you would find on the headband of any good Konoha ninja, was all that the Hokage signed her note with.

Barely containing his excitement, the Hyuga brushed past Tenten and showed the letter to Naruto, who whooped in elation, "Sakura will be so happy when we get there tomorrow!" he laughed as he calmed down, "Wait…So I gave her Hinata-chan's present for nothing? OH!" he moved away towards his apartment, bidding his pale-eyed Hyuga friend and the brunette Tenten goodbye, claiming he had to go pack for the journey.

Carefully, Neji folded the note up and placed it in his pocket, protecting it from the rain. He turned to bid Tenten farewell, as much as he found her annoying, he wasn't going to completely ignore her, a simple formal goodbye would suffice, but was stopped as she drew even closer to him, uncomfortably close.

"Neji-kun…" she whispered, the air from her statement stirring the baby-bangs across his forehead, "I was wondering…" her lips were only millimeters from Neji's, her breath coming shorter and shorter; helplessly paralyzed, Neji just stood there, unsure of what to do, "…Would you like to come by my place for some dinner?" one of her hands reached across the small amount of space separating them and brushed some hair from his forehead, sloping down his sculpted shoulders to brush his arm. If she was trying to be seductive, it just came off as awkward and uncomfortable for the poor Hyuga, who was turning various shades of red.

"Tenten-san…" he began slowly, unsure of how to turn her down without risking the tiny scrap of friendship he still held onto with her. They used to be so close when they were genin; she was the main reason his Byakugan had become so developed at that young age, always willing to train with him no matter what. But as the two had grown older, the Hyuga had noticed how Tenten had begun to start showing increasing amounts of affection towards him, to the point of embarrassment. Naruto and the others all teased him mercilessly because her mooning eyes followed his every movement or she would use every excuse to be near him. It made him uneasy.

With Sakura, talking, spending time together, was never clumsy or awkward. Days with her were full of laughter and fun, he could tell her all his secrets and know they were safe; he could complain about the Village or missions, or even his Clan to her and she would always listen and calm him down. She was like a steel support system.

Tenten however, was another matter entirely. When he had come complaining to her, she would always try to touch him, as though trying to turn it into a romantic moment. He felt like he couldn't tell her anything for fear she would try to hug or kiss him.

And now was no different.

"Tenten-san…" he began again, searching for the right words to turn her off the trail, but one of the brunette's calloused fingers came up and placed itself right over Neji's lips, silencing him.

"I won't take no for an answer Neji-kun!" she said forcefully, smiling; causing the Hyuga to inwardly grimace, he had to get out of this, NOW. Steeling his resolve, he rallied to the task ahead.

"Tenten-san, I won't be joining you for dinner tonight," he replied just as forcefully, "I must be preparing myself for my mission tomorrow, I'm afraid that my duties to the Village come first." He made to move away, but the strong girl caught his arm and held him fast, wrenching him back around to face her, "Tenten-san! What is the…?" he never finished, a pair of berry colored lips smothering his own shut before he could get another word out. She tasted like metal, hard steel or perhaps copper, astringent-y and unfamiliar; taking a quick breath in surprise, the cold smell of metal, like kunai left too long in the rain, filed into Neji's nostrils, causing him to jolt a little more.

Her soft mouth pressed harder and harder against his, he could feel her heart pounding as she pressed closer and closer, reaching up to wrap her fingers through his hair and dragging his mouth down to meet hers more completely. It was awkwardly and poorly done, like the kiss itself. But the sudden movement helped Neji regain control of his limbs.

'Tenten…is…**KISSING**…me?' his mind fought itself out of the fog of paralysis it found itself in, moving Neji's body into action.

With a start, he pushed her off of him, holding her away from him by both arms, preventing her from getting near enough to attempt such a venture again. The tigress was squirming in his arms, either trying to get close or away, he didn't know, but he made sure she wasn't going anywhere.

"Tenten! What is the meaning of this?!" he spat, ridding his mouth of the taste of her, "Have I once, if ever, even given you a hint that I want that kind of relationship with you? Tenten, we're just friends for Kami's sake!" he wiped off the saliva from his mouth and released her violently, causing her to stumble back a few steps before she straightened her stance and stood tall, as though readying herself for battle.

"I used to be everything Sakura is to you now! Why her? Why not me?!" she exclaimed, raising her fists as though asking the skies, "I'm stronger, I'm a better fighter, I've known you longer……I love you more!" she declared, anger rising into her brown eyes, "Why her?! She was weak, unworthy of you! Why her?!" the weapon's mistress screamed with rage as she glared at the Hyuga.

Shocked, the pale-eyed man just stood there, mouth open; this Tenten was enraged, her once-languid brown eyes were now hard as flint and glaring at him, her fists were clenched so tight her knuckles were white against the red of her fingers. Slowly, as though with some kind of perverse ceremony, she drew a gleaming kunai out of the holster on her thigh and pricked her left index finger, digging the knife in so that the blood ran down her hands and mixed with the rain, becoming a pink stream that dripped off of her arm. She raised her eyes from her work and fixed them straight into his own wide pale ones.

"I swear Neji Hyuga," she began slowly, raising her wounded hand up into the air, allowing a few of the pinkish-red drops to drip down upon her brow, " I swear by the Hokage's of past, present and future…I swear by the kunai in my hand and the blood on my face, that you will be mine!" Tenten vowed in one long low hissing statement, in one swift movement, sheathing her kunai, "No matter what I have to do." She finished under her breath, before storming away into the hazy drizzle, the foggy clouds eating up her figure.

Neji just stood there, the rain soaking him through to the bone. A cold chill creeping down his spine as the weapon's mistress uttered her curse. It felt as though she was somehow jinxing him, tying him to her no matter what he said.

'How had Tenten become this obsessed?' he asked himself as he snapped out of his trance and turned to go back to the Hyuga estate. Creepy run-in with Tenten or no, he had to pack for tomorrow's mission.

More chills ran down his spine as he remembered her words that had seemed like a curse. Was he truly bound to her now? Blood oaths in a Village that trained its children to kill were valued above all other bonds. If two people made such an oath, mixing their blood in promise, it was considered more important than if the two had signed a legally binding contract. Blood vows, to a Village that killed as easily as breathed, were no laughing matter, but taken with the utmost sincerity; if you failed to uphold a blood oath more likely than not you would be killed.

'But Tenten didn't make her vow with me, she made it with herself!' Neji's reason screamed at him, 'We did not mix our blood!' that statement of his mind seemed to calm down the rest of his body as he replayed the scene over and over again in his brain.

'Only if our blood mixed would cause us to be subject to the law,' he calmed down a little more at this comforting thought, but was still tormented by the cryptic statements that Tenten had uttered, 'I can never be hers, I belong to someone else already!' reaching the Hyuga estate, he snuck into his room, avoiding any of his family members, and collapsed onto his bed.

"If I can make it to tomorrow, I'll be out of the Village," he repeated the mantra over and over, trying to keep himself from panicking. After a few moments, he allowed himself to think about Sakura, and immediately felt a hundred times better. Breathing deeply, he felt relief flow through his body as he thought of being with her again as soon as tomorrow night.

But once more, the scene with Tenten replayed itself in his mind, accompanied by one chilling thought:

'What if she goes after Sakura?'

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Whizzing by branches and outstretched leafy arms, Sakura sprinted through the treetops, bounding lightly from branch to branch. The faster she moved, the less wet she seemed to get, plus, moving quickly through the air seemed to help her dry out her already soaked garments.

It was midnight and still raining, the darkness making it harder to see, but the barely visible moon, hidden by thick wet clouds, gave a little light. The Cherry Blossom knew she would soon reach her destination; the desert that bordered the forest couldn't possibly be more than a half an hour's run away and when she reached the sandy dunes, Suna would be hidden among them. Tucking her face a little deeper under her jacket's high collar, she ran on.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Sasuke?" a voice called out in the darkness of the night, stirring the Uchiha into consciousness, "Sasuke? Are you in here?" a few tentative taps sounded on the door of the raven-haired man's room, awaking him even further.

Sleepily rubbing his eyes and taking the covers off of his torso, he rose and uttered out an irritated, "Who is it?" blinded by the slight light coming through the door as it creaked open. A tall slim figure, with the silhouette of a long ponytail, crept through the crack and shut the door behind her. Creeping over to Sasuke's bed without making the slightest sound.

"Ino?" Sasuke said confusedly, "What are you doing here?" he sat down on the edge of his bed and rubbed the starbursts out of his eyes from his sudden exposure to the light, "You should be at home, I don't want people talking!" he hissed in a whispered voice as two white arms came down around his shoulders.

"It doesn't matter to me Sasuke," Ino whispered back, wrapping her arms around him even tighter, "I'll be you wife in a week and it won't matter anymore." She looked up at him with her seductive blue eyes and brought her lips up to meet his, smiling against them.

The once-ninja knew that he didn't love her in the same way she loved him, knew that the love she had longed for, the passionate exchange of two peoples feelings, was something she would never get out of this man. But, like Sakura, she could see past the handsome profile, see down to the lost little injured seven-year-old that still lived inside him. She saw the pain and misery he carried and probably would carry for the rest of his life, but instead of turning her back on him or refusing to marry him, she chose the only way she knew how to comfort the Uchiha: by bearing his children and giving him hope. And maybe, just maybe, in a few years, love would bloom where mutual respect had existed. It was all she could hope for.

Kissing him even more, trying to erase the horrors of his past with the light of a new future, Ino smiled again; the Uchiha was a horrible kisser.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Look Kisame…my little brother seems to have found himself a wife…" the swirling red eyes were watching the compound again, "We'll have do to something about that…" a malicious smile broke across Itachi's face as he glanced over at his partner, the shark-man grinning as well.

"We can't have him raising anymore Uchiha brats now, can we?" the blue man rumbled, shooting his partner a look as well. Their Akatsuki cloaks protected them well against the rain, keeping them nice and dry as the pair staked out the compound.

"He wasn't strong enough to kill me…he'll never be strong enough…only one of us can exist in this world, and it must be the stronger of the two." The older Uchiha rasped, his eyes swirling faster and faster as his heart rate increased in hate, "Only one of us can exist…I allowed him to live, so he may kill me and end _my_ existence, but he wasn't strong enough…he'll never _be_ strong enough…" Itachi repeated this like a mantra, everyday, feeding his anger towards his younger brother.

Kisame shot his partner a sideways glance, and wondered once again if he was truly insane.

After the two Uchihas' had battled and Sasuke had left, thinking he was victorious, Kisame had nursed Itachi back to health, caring for him as though they were blood. Nurturing a fever-stricken Uchiha had allowed Kisame a privileged glance into the infamous killer's psyche, and now he knew enough of his associate to realize that Itachi felt _cheated_ that his brother had failed to end his life. The older Sharingan-wielder had searched long and hard for someone, anyone, who could best him in a fight and end this death-in-life he had been leading; Sasuke had been his final hope, and when the younger brother had failed, the older had begun to seek his own perverted kind of revenge.

'Must run in the family,' Kisame thought to himself as he continued to watch the compound, 'the one brother comes seeking revenge and fails, and now the other is seeking revenge on the former.' Kisame's head spun as he tried to make sense of it all. Sighing, he turned to follow his partner, who was leaving the compound behind, still repeating his mantra.

"I will take everything from you Sasuke," Itachi whispered out loud to the rain, "You will have no choice but to kill me or die." Relief washed over Itachi's features at the thought of death's embrace. He had lived for so long with the thoughts of his Clan's massacre, all that was left for him was death. But he would not end his life with his own hand; if no one could defeat him, he would keep on living. Black-cloaked Death waited for him in the shadows of his own mind, he just needed someone to bring it to him. Peaceful now, his eyes returned to their black state as the pair marched off into the rain soaked forest, leaving the younger Uchiha and his soon-to-be wife alone.

The rain poured down with a vengeance.

**I hope you enjoyed that, I know it's long, but I never said this was going to be a short fic! Read and please review, I enjoy hearing from all of you. I was thinking about throwing in a reference to Madara Uchiha, but I decided against it at the end, let's just go with the idea that Itachi is tired of living with guilt that he killed his Clan and wants someone to end his life, Sasuke failed to do it, so now Itachi wants REVENGE! (cuz if you remember, the reason he left Sasuke alive was for someone to come kill him)(or that's what I heard anyway) Tell me if you like it!**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

**Hey everybody, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. TentenX Neji is grossin me out! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter too! (I wouldn't say this is my best chapter, but it had to be written, so I did the best I could, I hope you enjoy it and the next one will hopefully be better)**

Chapter Eight: In Sickness and In Health

Stumbling blindly through the sand swept streets of Sunagakure, the Cherry Blossom made her way to the Kazekage's office, hiding her face behind the high collar of her red jacket.

'First rain and now sand,' she thought dejectedly as she pushed open the door to what looked like the Kazekage's Tower. Erosion had softened the building's stone outer work, making it look soft and rounded around the corners. Quiet unlike the building she had expected for Gaara's office.

Walking in and shedding her jacket, she smiled slightly at the sight of sand pouring out of all its pockets and crevices, leaving a small pile on the floor of the tiled office. The secretary sitting at the main desk in the middle of the room sighed, but smiled and welcomed Sakura warmly, directing her up a flight of stairs to the large double doors that could only belong to the Kazekage's office. Timidly, Sakura gently pushed one of them open and crept inside.

Gaara, quiet unlike Tsunade, sat behind a neat desk, no mountains of paperwork hiding him from view. There were two metal boxes, one that said "in" and one that said "out". Right now the "out" box was full, while the "in" box was empty; Sakura had to admit, Gaara was very efficient.

"Sakura-san," the red-head's quiet voice filled the entirety of the room, causing the pink-haired medic to snap out of her thoughts, "I already know why you're here, did Tsunade-sama send anything with you?" he looked up from a slip of paper he was marking with his signature, his red kanji catching Sakura's eye.

She smiled slightly, thinking back to the genin days and the chunin exams. He had grown a good deal since then, topping Sakura by a good foot, and his red hair was a lot shaggier than she remembered.

"It's good to see you too, Kazekage-sama," she bowed respectfully and approached the desk, sitting down in one of the two wooden chairs in front of it, "I haven't seen you in such a long time! It's been five years since we last met." She smiled up at him, noticing the slight crease in his brow.

"You know I don't like that title, my name is Gaara," he growled menacingly, but Sakura knew he wasn't upset, the title of Kazekage had always weighed heavily on the young man's shoulders, and Sakura only did it to irritate him.

"Very well _Gaara_," she giggled, putting emphasis on his name, "Tsunade-shishou sends this, it was along with the paperwork I needed to enter the Village." She slipped a small sealed envelope over to the Kazekage. She had found the slip of paper, as the guards had been ruffling through her paperwork at the entrance to Suna, almost losing it in the wind that seemed to constantly blow.

Wordlessly, Gaara read the short note, nodding slightly at the close of it. He gazed up at Sakura and gave a small smirk. He read a small excerpt from the note to the curious Cherry Blossom.

"Very well… Tsunade-sama says that I am to take every precaution sending you in to heal the patients, and that if anything happens to you, she'll rip me to pieces," he confided wryly as he folded the rest of the letter up and slipped it into his pocket, "But other than that, she says the rest is up to you." His intense eyes bored holes into hers as he stared at her, "Come, let's go see your subjects." With a gesture of one pale arm, the Kazekage lifted up her pack and showed her to a side door off of his office.

"This links us to the hospital almost directly, I had it built in so I could summon a medic whenever necessary," Gaara made some small talk, which surprised Sakura greatly, since when had the lonely little boy become such a talker? But he led her on for a few minutes, through a dank, dark hallway lit with small bulbs. The door at the end could be bolted in what seemed a thousand different ways, and chakra seals were stamped all over it.

"Just a precaution, in case someone tries to get to me through the hospital," the red-head explained as he made some hand signs and released the seals, a slight popping sound coming from the door. With a smirk, he unlocked all the manual locks and directed the medic inside with a wave of his hand.

The scent of antiseptic and bleach smacked Sakura in the nose like one of Naruto's punches; coughing a little, the woman stumbled inside and blinked. Everything was white and clean, as though it had just been freshly scrubbed by loving hands.

"Ever since we brought your friends back in their state, we've been disinfecting the hospital every forty-eight hours." He was flinching at the smell as well, "This way," he pointed down a small hallway off of the main one, "you can take a look at your patients then we'll show you the tissue sample we took from them the moment they got here." He pointed down a deserted hallway, a biohazard sign screaming out a warning on the lone door at the end of it.

Silently, the pair walked down and opened the door, Sakura giving a light protest.

"Don't worry, there's only an observation room behind this door, after that however, is where you need to start wearing gloves and a mask." He gave her a small smile of encouragement, leading her into the room.

Several doctors were crowded around a long glass window in the cylindrical room, looking out into the much larger room beyond. It was the purest white Sakura had seen yet, and the strongest smelling. A door, marked with several biohazard signs, was leading into the space beyond, and several masks and gloves were waiting on hooks beside it. She shivered a little in nervousness as Gaara made way for her through the small crowd of doctors.

_Arp! Arp!_ A huge mound of fur threw itself at Sakura's legs, almost knocking her over. Sharp canine teeth were bared in an almost welcoming smile as Kiba's constant companion, Akamaru, greeted Sakura.

"Akamaru!" she laughed as she knelt down and stroked the big dog's coat, giggling helplessly as he smothered her with kisses. But suddenly he sobered suddenly, dragging his tail between his legs and whimpering as he scooted closer to the Cherry Blossom. The pink-haired woman stoked his head and scratched behind his ears in comfort; the poor pup missed his protector, it was obvious and made more so as the hound continued to whine. Almost as though she could understand him, she nodded, "I know Akamaru, Kiba's gotten himself into big trouble this time." She petted the dog for a little while longer, the two comforting each other.

"He refused to leave when we first quarantined Kiba and the others," Gaara approached and gave the pup an affectionate scratch behind the ears, "He practically lives in here now, I tried to take him out of here once and he almost managed to bite me." The sand master removed his hand and looked out into the room beyond, "He's very worried about Kiba." Gaara noted, and Sakura wondered if Gaara, who had spent very little time with Kiba, could understand what Akamaru was communicating in his canine eyes.

The Cherry Blossom placed a comforting hand on the young man's arm and moved toward the window, prepared for anything that may come.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hey Neji-teme!" the blonde Jinchuriki called out obnoxiously, "Hey! Wait up!" the young man panted heavily as the pair leapt from tree to tree, the Hyuga noticeably in the lead.

Smirking, the prodigy turned around, he knew he was setting an incredibly grueling pace, but he wanted to get to Sakura as fast as he possibly could. Naruto however, was having an unbelievably hard time with it.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have eaten all that ramen for breakfast before we left?" the pale-eyed man called out jokingly as his friend struggled to catch up, "Come on! And you say you want to be the next Hokage?" he knew it was a low blow, but if it made the bumbling blonde faster, than so be it.

"Hey! What was that?" the familiar sound of anger rose into Naruto's voice as he charged ahead. Neji smirked again, 'Perfect, if I can keep him angry enough to run this fast, we'll reach Suna in another hour or so!' smiling inwardly, the taunting Neji and the cursing Naruto flew through the woods, making great time towards their destination.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Three huge brown casket-like tubs filled the large white room, making it seem cramped and small, the smell of death and decay overcoming the mask that protected the Cherry Blossom's face. Sakura's head spun as she flirted dangerously with unconsciousness, peering over into what looked like Hinata's tub. A huge block of ice encased the unconscious girl, melting a little more as precious moments passed by. Already, water that had once been ice half filled the tub. The Cherry Blossom edged a little closer.

'Why did I do this again?' she moaned inwardly, cursing herself for wanting to come in, 'I should have been content with just looking through the observation window!' Sighing, Sakura knew that would have been impossible, no medic can do a proper job by just looking at their patients from an observation room. Steeling herself, Sakura drew closer to her dear friend's form as she gazed into the tub, gasping slightly in horror at the state of her friend.

The comatose Hinata's once frailly beautiful face was covered with sores as big as quarters, and her body, clothed only in a simple shift that came to her knees, was just a mass of the huge pink and red spots. Pus was oozing out of all of them slowly, and the eerie black substance described in the letter Sakura had read was slowly slipping out of the corner of the Hyuga heiress's mouth. Bending forward just a little more and touching a gloved hand to the poor girl's forehead, Sakura felt the heat instantly creep its way through the glove protecting her from the pus; the young woman was burning up!

Fear enclosed the Cherry Blossom's heart as she backed away from the Hyuga girl and examined the other two, Shikamaru actually looking worse than Kiba or Hinata, far more sores covering his body than the other victims. However, all three seemed stable, their heart rates were constant and they were breathing well enough, but the young medic still fretted, wondering how much time they had left.

She approached Hinata's beleaguered body one more time, gazing intently at the network of oozing sores lining her arms and legs. None of them were healing, the body was failing to close them up, and the pus was a horrible sign, her white blood cells were dying in the futile battle to stop the infection.

Abruptly, a horrid gurgling gasp came from Hinata's open mouth, the evil black liquid spurting everywhere. It splattered down her front, lumpy with decaying tissue and dead cells, smelling foul, like death, as it poured down her chin.

"Hinata?" Sakura cried, pressing close to her friend, her voice muffled under the mask, "Hinata hold on! Naruto will be here soon!" she hoped the girl could hear her, hoped that the poor girl could understand her words of encouragement.

The young woman settled back down with a small huff of breath, not regaining consciousness, but as Sakura brushed a strand of hair off her friend's forehead, a monitor beeped out it's warning above her.

**BEEP**...**BEEP**...**BEEP**…the loud sound roared it's way into Sakura's panicking brain, making its presence known as she was ushered out of the way by a nurse.

"Please move Miss!" one of the nurses gently escorted her over to Gaara, who was also clothed in gloves and a mask, Sakura blinked up at him, surprised to see the Kazekage in the room. Gently, he held her hand as the people fussed over Hinata, four nurses instantly attending her. Looking over at the motionless body of the Hyuga girl, Sakura felt so useless, a statue in a world of motion, tears sliding down her face as she realized how helpless she was. Words that Sakura couldn't hear were being shouted back and forth between the nurses as they read the monitor and checked Hinata's I.V.

"Her temperature…"one cried incredulous, "It's dropping! …112…110…107…104… it's falling!" the nurse read off the scanner, her mouth open in shock.

All the tension broke at the nurse's exclamation, a couple sighs of relief could be heard coming from inside the observation room and for an instant, Sakura snapped out of her stupor. In a flash, one of the attending, dressed in scrubs and wearing a green mask, was in front of them, the outline of a large smile could be seen from underneath his mask.

"Kazekage-sama!" he approached and bowed deeply, "It's a miracle! The girl's fever has broken! She's cooling down almost to fast to monitor; it's absolutely amazing… She'll be back to normal temperature in just a few moments at this rate!" the man seemed to be waiting for congratulations as the nurses, with their masks and gloves, removed Hinata from the ice and placed her on a waiting stretcher.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" Gaara asked coldly, "Can you bring her back to health? Do you have the cure yet?" he fixed the man with an intense stare, one that would make even Sasuke quiver in fear.

"No Kazekage-sama…we…" he didn't finish, but looked anywhere to avoid Gaara's burning eyes.

"Well then get back to work!" the shout filled the room as the attending scurried away into the observation room. Suddenly, Sakura caught Gaara's hand in a fierce grip. Her logic seemed to kick into high gear at the man's revelation. Fevers…fevers…fevers…Ah! She thought of every bit of information on fevers that Tsunade ever fed her. Fever's broke when the invading bacteria had been burned out by the body, but Hinata was still covered in sores and very ill. She would need a sample of flesh, something to look at for traces of the virus' presence.

"Gaara, can I get a tissue sample from her?" she asked, staring straight ahead, barely hearing the man's "Hai" or him directing a nurse to follow her orders.

Tentatively, one of the younger nurses extracted some flesh from one of the open sores on Hinata's ravaged body, storing it in a test tube and sealing it tightly with a rubber stopper.

"What next Haruno-san?" the girl asked, holding the flesh away from her as though it could somehow get out of the tube and infect her. She looked like she would rather be anywhere else than here right now.

"Gaara! May I also see the tissue sample you collected from them when they first got here?" she was still staring straight ahead, thinking carefully, as Shikamaru would do.

'Why didn't I see it before?' she berated herself inwardly, 'Comparing the two samples should give me the answer!' It was painfully obvious now to the pink-haired medic, fear and uncertainty had clouded her logic.

"Yes, of course Sakura, I'll arrange it immediately," with a slightly worried look; the Kazekage walked over to the intercom, the only link between the two rooms, and gave his orders. Movement could be seen in the other room; what ever Gaara had said certainly had gotten people moving. Scurrying white clothed figures could be made out through the glass.

"Sakura," the sound of her voice caused her head to snap up, meeting the intense gaze of Gaara's black-ringed eyes, "This way." He turned and walked over to the door, stepping through it and through a cloud of disinfectant that was sprayed through the frame.

A nurse from somewhere handed Sakura the vial containing the scrap of flesh from Hinata, who was now lying on a bed instead of in a tub. A warm sheet was pulled up to her hands, which were resting on her stomach; dark hair swept back on the pillow, she looked beautiful, even with all the sores and marks covering her face.

Sakura looked once more at all three of her friends, sighing and silently promising to save them. Quickly, so she couldn't look back and give into her compulsion to stay with them, she flew through the door, pausing so the disinfectant could settle on her clothes and free her of germs.

As she stepped back into the observation room, she gasped; the whole place was changed! A table with microscopes and the necessary tools of a lab was laid out by the window looking into the sick room; another table was lined with centrifuges and test tubes, petri dishes ranging from large to small as well. It was like Gaara had managed to squeeze a whole complete lab into one room in less than five minutes. She glanced over appreciatively at the redhead, who was ordering the lifting of some heavier equipment to one of the corners.

"Here Haruno-san," an attending doctor came up to her and took the vial towards one of the microscopes, "We already set up the other sample for viewing; I'll take care of this one." He ran over to the table with the petri dishes and began to prepare the fresher sample for observation.

With a sigh, Sakura sat down, resting on a stool placed by the table. It was going to be an incredibly long night.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Uh…Neji…-teme…" Naruto's voice rasped out from behind Neji as the two made their way to the Kazekage's office, twilight deepening into soft desert night, "Wait…up…you're going too…fast…" the poor Jinchuriki was crawling along the sidewalk, trying to keep up with Neji's slow strides. The Hyuga smirked; he knew he had pushed the blonde too hard in their sprint to reach the Village. Looking down at the poor boy, he sighed mock disappointment.

"Naruto…I'm walking." He deadpanned as the Demon Host managed to rise with the aid of a wall, "Now c'mon! The faster we reach Gaara's office, the faster we can get some rest." However, the Hyuga prodigy had something other than sleep on his mind.

'_Sakura_'

She was the lone thought that had kept him running to Sand, and the thought of seeing her again made a strange tightness rip through his chest. They had only been separated for twenty-four hours, how had he ever made it five years? Kami! How he wanted to hold her close and cover her pink lips in kisses! It was almost more than he could bear.

As the full moon made her appearance, casting a silvery glow over the Hidden Village, the winds that seemed to constantly blow actually calmed down, as though they themselves were resting for the night. But with the loss of the blasting winds and the golden sun, the night air quickly became chilled. Neji, dressed in long black shorts with his legs from ankle to knee wrapped in bandages, was shivering in his black tank. He stripped down as they had traveled through the hot dunes of the desert, but was now digging through his pack in search of the gray and red jacket he had discarded only a few hours previous.

Naruto too seemed to be suffering; he had also shed his jacket for his much lighter black short-sleeved shirt on their run through the desert, but was now zipping up the long-sleeved orange coat to the chin in an effort to keep warm.

Incredibly tired and moderately chilled, the two nin's collapsed into a heap as soon as they reached the Kazekage's tower, the very secretary who had greeted Sakura also seeing them into Gaara's neat office.

The redhead was working on some paperwork as the pair stumbled in, faces flushed from the cold.

"Kazekage-sama," Neji showed respect by bowing low to his friend, "We're the escort nin's Tsunade sends for Sakura and the others when she has finished her task." He slipped a note from the Hokage over to the leader of Sand, stepping back and watching amusedly as Naruto sank into one of the wooden chairs in the office.

"Hyuga-san, I understand already why you are here." Gaara looked over as well at Naruto, who was practically fast asleep, "I'll show you to your quarters, Naruto-teme seems to have already fallen asleep." A crease in the redhead's brow showed he was slightly irritated, but nevertheless, he ushered the pair (Neji carrying Naruto) out the door of his office and over to his house.

"Gaara-sama, we cannot possibly stay here!" The Hyuga cried in astonishment as the young man gave them his guest rooms, "Surely Naruto and I can sleep elsewhere? You need not open your own house to us!" such generosity was rarely shown to nin's from another village and even though Gaara was a friend, it was quiet unexpected.

"I insist, you're my friends," the Kazekage gave a rare smirk, "How would I look if I didn't allow my friends access to my home?" he unlocked the guest rooms for the pair, Neji setting Naruto and their packs on the bed of the first room. He claimed the second for his own and thanked Gaara again profusely. But in the end, his curiosity got the best of him and the one question he didn't want to ask came flying out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"Gaara-san, please, where is Sakura?" he gazed intently into the redhead's eyes with his own, willing him to give an answer while trying to hide his feeling of concern for the Cherry Blossom, but he realized the Kazekage was a lot smarter than he thought when the redhead smirked in triumph.

"Don't worry Neji-san," he gave a slight chuckle, "Sakura is fine, she's working in the hospital and gave me specific instruction's that absolutely no one is to disturb her." he chuckled again as Neji's face fell in disappointment, "But… if you get up early enough, I'll take you with me when I go bring her breakfast…" this time he had to work to withhold his laughter as the Hyuga's eyes instantly lit up, a huge grin crossing the handsome Hyuga features.

"Thank you Gaara-san, I would be honored." He bowed low as he bid his smiling redhead friend goodnight and prepared himself for bed. He felt the heavy hand of exhaustion gripping his bones and knew that he had pushed himself a little too far today. Brushing his teeth in the bathroom off the guest room, he stripped down to his boxers and a tank, crawling under the warm thick sheets of the strange bed. The pillows were rough from disuse, but soft still, filled with feathers.

He pulled of the hitai-ate of Konoha, revealing the symbol on his forehead that marked him as member of one of the lower houses in the Hyuga Clan. The green mark glinted softly in the light as the young man pillowed one of his hands under his head and closed mind to the world, softly dreaming of a beautiful woman with eyes like leaves and hair the color of rose petals.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Sighing exhaustedly, Sakura rubbed her green eyes in slow circles, massaging away the headache she knew would soon overtake her.

'Kami!' her thoughts were as tired as she was, 'I've been studying this sample the whole night!' she placed her hand down on the notebook she had been writing in, noticing how it's once empty pages were now one-third full. Her scrawling shorthand filled numerous sheets of paper, noting the different aspects of the disease.

The last few hours had been enlightening to say the least, both Kiba and Shikamaru symptoms had followed those of Hinata's: their fevers had dropped down to normal temperatures in just a few hours of each other.

Sakura bent her sore back and gazed down into the microscope she had been working with, looking intently at the sample of flesh extracted from Shikamaru when the group of diseased nin's had first arrived at the hospital. Hidden in her many pages of notes, the Cherry Blossom had managed to figure out that the disease was not viral as assumed by the doctors and nurses of Sunagakure, but bacterial and the tiny microorganisms were incredibly similar to types of tuberculosis, attacking the lungs and consuming them from within. However, tuberculosis took much more time, sometimes years, to kill off it's victims; this disease was doing all of that in a matter of days.

Rubbing her eyes a little harder, Sakura ran her long fingers through her hair, this whole day and night, she had been studying just the one sample; she hadn't even begun to monitor the fresher one. And the mystery as to why the high fever had dropped so suddenly was still unknown.

'I still have so much work to do!' she groaned inside her head, torn between wanting to help her friends and the need to sleep, but her rampant curiosity drove her on to take at least a peek of the newer flesh, 'Mmmm…I should at least look at the other sample before I got to bed. Kami! I'm so tired!' She wearily, with fumbling fingers, removed the glass dish that held the older diseased tissue and replaced it with the one already prepared for her hours earlier.

Bending her sore back forward once more, she peered intently into the microscope. A slight gasp tore itself out of her throat as she studied the specimen, her eyes wide open and unseeing as she pulled back from the sample. At once, her being grew incredibly still, her mouth hanging agape.

'Can this be?' she asked herself as her shaking hands fumbled with the knobs on the side of the microscope, changing the focus of the lenses. She peered in once more and gave a harsh barking laugh…then another…then another…now she was cackling like an old crone sitting back on the stool, all alone in the observation room.

'I have to tell Gaara!' her mind screamed out insanely as she pealed out of the room and rushed to the door in the hospital leading up to the Kazekage's office. Forming the hand seals she had watched Gaara perform, the door clicked open for her, allowing her access to the tunnel she had come through hours before. Sprinting into the dank tube, she pumped some chakra to her feet, increasing her speed. All the while, her mind clicked continuously with different possibilities; she didn't know whether to be happy or frightened at the daunting task before her.

'So much work!' she thought madly, 'I have so much work to do!' the answers were before her now; she just needed to apply them. The solution to everything was so painstakingly simple, 'If I would have just compared the second sample earlier I could have saved myself so much time…' a small seed of regret took root in her heart at the thought of all the time she had wasted just studying the one sample.

The Cherry Blossom bolted through the small adjoining hallway and kicked down the door to the Kazekage's office, praying Gaara wouldn't be too mad with her. Sakura knew she could take liberties with Tsunade, but the redheaded man was another case entirely.

Flying into the office amidst pieces of wood from the door, Sakura landed gracefully, smirking slightly at the look of shock on the Kazekage's face, he was still doing paperwork, much to Sakura's chagrin.

"Kazekage-sama," the Cherry Blossom gasped out breathless, her dry lips somehow managing to form the words she wanted to speak, "I know what to do… it all makes sense now…" she stopped for a moment to catch her breath, surprise still written plainly across Gaara's face, his mouth open slightly in bewilderment. Breathing deep again, she stood tall and walked over to the desk with her back ramrod straight.

"I know how to heal them."

**Hey Everyone, I hope you enjoyed my chapter, which was a pain to write, I know it's not my best, but I'll post the next one soon and I can only hope it will be better. Thanks for all your reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Hey everybody, i hope you lyk this chapter! a little neji/saku fluff for ya!**

Chapter Nine: An Embarrassing Encounter

"You know how to…heal them?" Gaara's usually intense eyes were completely emotionless with shock, "Are you sure? You've only been studying the samples for a day." The sand-master pointed out. Sakura looked exhausted, she hadn't had any sleep and she had practically collapsed into the chair across from Gaara's desk as she told him her findings on the disease.

"I'm as sure as I'll ever be Gaara," she hid a yawn behind her hand and looked him square in the eye, "I already told you, when I studied the first sample, the bacteria had completely corrupted the tissues and was multiplying at a surprisingly rapid rate. I'm assuming that's what triggered the incredibly high fever. But when I examined the newer, fresher flesh from Hinata, all traces of dangerous microorganisms were gone. Once again, I'm assuming the high fever is the cause of the bacteria being wiped out." She took a breath and stifled another yawn, "The only thing that appears to remain is the damage done by the disease, which is enough to kill anyone. That seems to be the bacteria's main purpose as a forbidden Justu: to infect the victim with a short-lived microorganism that causes an immense amount of internal damage, enough that healing all of the damage in time to save the victim's life is almost inconceivable.

" With the way Kiba and the others are, I'll have to rebuild their lungs, completely rejuvenate their epidermis, and make sure their brain took no damage from the high fever." Sakura looked down at her hands, which were shaking from exhaustion, "I have a lot of work to do, and the fact that I have to complete the procedure three times doesn't help matters." She finished her report and looked up at Gaara again, not making eye contact. A long silence dawned on the room as the two were buried deep in their own thoughts.

"Sakura, you're sure you're able?" the redhead asked tentatively, "From what you're telling me, it's going to take a vast amount of chakra and an even bigger supply of willpower." He didn't want to insult the Cherry Blossom, but he was fairly sure she didn't have enough chakra to complete all three healings at once.

Sakura paused before answering and reached one of her shaking hands up slowly, feeling the Cherry Blossom necklace that Naruto and Neji had given her, reaching out and touching the power of their chakra that radiated off of it like sunshine. She smiled softly and knew that as long as she had the will to finish her task, she could do it.

"I'm sure Gaara," she nodded her head in determination, "I know I can do it." She gave him one of her warmest smiles, filled with confidence.

"Alright," Gaara nodded as well, "If you say you can do it, then I believe you can. But I am not letting you even think of healing them until you have a square meal and some rest, you're shaking for Kami's sake!" he pointed at her hands and at her bloodshot eyes, "I'll go make sure your breakfast is prepared and then you can go lie down for a few hours; if you're going to complete this mission, you going to need sleep."

He gave her a small smirk before leading her back through the hall from the office to the hospital and ushering her into an unused room only a hallway away from the biohazard chamber. Sakura noted that her pack was already in the room, and the hospital bed was already turned down for her, the pillows plumped and cushy-looking. Sakura turned to say something to the Kazekage, but he was gone in an instant, leaving the Cherry Blossom all alone in the white room.

She walked into the adjoining bathroom, taking a quick shower and getting all of the previous day's sand out of her hair and the desert sweat off of her skin. She realized the last time she had taken a shower was back in Konoha and grimaced at the thought of being so dirty.

Drying herself off as she stepped out of the bathroom, her skin flushed and pink from the hot water and her long, wet rose hair plastered to her back, she opened up the door to her room, the short white towel barely covering her chest and hardly reaching to the tops of her thighs. She clutched the coarse fabric a little closer in an effort to protect herself from the cold sterilized air that greeted her as she walked into her room, leaving small wet footprints on the ground behind her. The warm steamy air of the bathroom followed Sakura in cloud form as she made a beeline for her pack on the edge of her bed, clothes and underwear hidden inside. But a feeling of being watched made slight shivers run up her back as she turned from her bag and glanced at the shadow in the doorway, her own green eyes colliding with a pair of pearl ones. The Hyuga prodigy stood there in her doorway, a tray of breakfast delights in his hands.

"Neji!" she cried, "EEK!" she gave a sound of alarm as she grabbed the towel around her slender form even tighter, to shocked to do much else. Her face colored a deep red as she scrambled to get to the bathroom, pack in tow.

The Hyuga prodigy just stood there, the tray of food in his hands, his own pale complexion was a deep red, but he couldn't help the very slight feeling of satisfaction at seeing Sakura almost naked. He smirked despite his mortified inner self.

'She…was …almost…naked…' his own thoughts made him embarrassed, but he couldn't deny how beautiful the Cherry Blossom was. The thin coarse towel had only shown the contours of her curvy body even more as it clung to her wet skin, and the way her dripping hair hung down her back and shoulders made him want to run his fingers through it; her skin was deliciously pink from the hot water and the very thought of her in the shower was enough to make Neji feel……he… didn't want to think about it.

"So, did you give her the food yet?" the brusque voice of the Kazekage came from the shadows behind the handsome Hyuga, "Or did you just stare at her like that?" a slight chuckled came from the form of Gaara, and Neji realized the redhead had seen the whole scene play out with Sakura. The pearl-eyed man turned an even deeper shade of red, before walking into Sakura's room and shutting the door on Gaara's unrestrained laughter. He gave a stifled yawn, the arrogant Kazekage had woken him up at four o'clock in the morning to give Sakura breakfast, and for a short moment, the Hyuga had resented speaking to Gaara about the Cherry Blossom before.

'I'll get him back…' the prodigy thought maliciously, envisioning a thousand ways to give Gaara a most painful death, but was stopped as the sound of a bathroom door opening shook him from his thoughts.

Sakura stood in the doorway, long pink hair damp and loose around her shoulders and a pair of flannel red pajamas covering up her body. She looked exhausted, dark rings making their presence known under her eyes, and her legs were shaking with the effort of keeping her up in a standing position. Her eyes betrayed her embarrassment at seeing Neji still in her room, but she steeled herself and approached him with her back straight.

"I see you made it alright," she observed, trying and failing to keep a smile off of her lips as she approached Neji shakily, "You must have made Naruto sprint the whole way to get here this fast!" she came a little closer as she lay down on the bed and pulled the covers over her cold feet, Neji setting the tray of toast, orange juice, bacon and eggs on her lap all the while giving her a smile to match her own.

"The poor teme's been sleeping since we got here," he said with a small laugh, "I had to carry him to his room." Sakura snorted into her orange juice at the thought of Neji carrying Naruto to his room. But for the next few moments, silence reigned over the room as Sakura wolfed her breakfast down and set her tray aside on her night table. Stretching her arms out and licking her lips, she scooted down deeper into the covers and lay her pink head on the cushy pillows. Irresistibly, Neji was drawn to her like a moth to the flame and came down to sit at her side on the bed. He looked down at the drowsy Cherry Blossom, watching her long-lashed eyes fight to stay open.

"How are the healings coming along?" he asked, noting how adorable Sakura looked as she yawned, "Any luck yet?"

The Cherry Blossom gazed sleepily up at him and smiled inwardly at his handsome profile. She wanted to reach out and touch his face, trace the lines with her own fingers. But her exhaustion held her back as her eyesight blurred. She really needed to get some sleep!

"I've made some progress," she gave a half-hearted answer, "When I wake up, I'm to begin the healing procedure on one of them…it's a lot…of work…but…" she didn't finish her sentence, but closed her green eyes and yielded to sleep, her head tilting peacefully off to the side.

Indulgently, Neji smiled down at her and waited a few moments. When he was sure she was deep in her own dreams, his long-fingered calloused hands slowly reached up to her face and gently traced over her skin along the hairline. He softly twined a few of his fingers among the pink strands of her hair and stroked her scalp, rewarded with a soft sigh from the sleeping Cherry Blossom, who unconsciously tilted her head towards the source of the good feeling.

He sat there for well over two hours, gently massaging Sakura's scalp, or stroking her arms and hands; anything that would bring her comfort. But when a concerned Kazekage opened the door, the abashed pearl-eyed man quickly removed his hands from their work of caressing Sakura's leanly muscled arm.

"Are you done staring at her yet?" the redhead asked wryly, "She needs her rest you know; there's a lot of work before her." he shook his head as he turned on his heel and left, but kept the door open, and unspoken invitation for Neji to leave.

Sighing heavily, the Hyuga glanced once more down at the sleeping Cherry Blossom, and before he could stop himself, placed a soft kiss in between her pink brows, right on the red diamond in the middle of her forehead.

"Sleep well Sakura"

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, review please!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**Hey everyone, I kno it's been a while since I updated. Sry, finals week in school sucks a lot out of ya but now I'm a senior YAY!! Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter of the story! I know the plotline is developing slowly, but I want to drag this out a little, love doesn't happen quickly but is a journey of twists and turns. Review for me please.**

_**Chapter Ten: A Dire Choice**_

A tendril of pink hair tickled its way across the red diamond on Sakura's brow, wiggling right above her eye and tickling her into consciousness. Sighing heavily in annoyance, she ran her fingers across her face and dislodged it from the sensitive spot, giggling a little at the ticklish feeling it gave her. Rising slowly on legs not quite required from their previous exhausted state, the Cherry Blossom shakily made her way over to the bathroom and gazed at herself in the mirror.

Jade eyes marked by the gaping shadows beneath them stared back at her, and her thick pink hair was unruly from being slept on. All in all, she looked and felt as though she was one of the walking dead.

_Kami! I'm still so tired…_ she thought anxiously as she took another shower, washing all the oil and sweat from sleep off of her body,_ I have to heal them today…_that thought alone caused her pulse to race and her head to spin; doubt clouded her mind as surely as a genjutsu. With a wistful thought of simply running away from it all, she finished up her stay in the shower and brushed her teeth thoroughly. Braiding up her still damp hair and throwing on a black pair of tight shorts with a red short skirt and a black tank top, she fastened the hitai-ate of Konoha not around her forehead or around her hair, but upon her arm.

Nervously she slipped out of the bathroom and into the cold air of the hospital. Her black sandals and kunai pouch were resting beside her pack and she reluctantly, as though donning a great weight, strapped them on. With a glance at the contents of her leg pouch, she stuck her head out of the door and peeked at the clock out in the hallway.

"THREE O'CLOCK!" she shrieked staring out at the timekeeper, a little dazed. She hadn't meant to sleep this late! The silver Cherry Blossom charm she wore around her neck bounced up and down on her chest as she raced down the hallway to the room marked with the biohazard sign. She reached out for the door, and noticed with detached interest, that her hands were shaking; whether from exhaustion or nervousness, she didn't know. She closed her eyes for only a moment, concentrating on her tasks for the day.

_I can heal them, I know I can_, she forced herself to block out the thoughts of failure, of having to break it to the Hyuga Clan that Hinata would never come home, or telling Kiba's relatives that Akamaru was with him until the end. Even the thought of telling Shikamaru's father that his prodigy son was dead, as detached from emotion as he was, nearly brought tears of grief to her eyes. _No one is dying today…No one!_ Steeling herself for the task ahead, she pushed the door open and entered the sterile white room.

"I'm here!" Sakura poked her head around the door and looked in, slowly entering the room and looking for Neji, even Gaara in this crowd of strangers. A few doctors were writing things down on a clipboard, nervously looking out from the observation room, nurses were scattered inside the room housing the patients, checking temperatures and monitoring the equipment.

"Ah! Sakura-san!" a skittish looking man, balding and clearly one of the doctors walked up to her and led her over to the window. He was a nervous man; sweat was beading his forehead with the effort of just keeping eye contact with Sakura, "Kazekage-sama gave me a message for you. He says begin the healings whenever you feel ready, he won't be in for a while; something with Naruto-san and Neji-san, he said." The jittery man met her eyes with his own small ones, "He didn't say when he would be along, but he wants you to begin without him if you're prepared." Sakura's green eyes looked beyond his head and into the room holding her friends.

The three victims of the disease were all unconscious as before, but were now on hospital beds instead of in tubs of ice; tell-tale black streaks down their chins told the medic nin that they were still coughing up the remains of lung tissue, and their skin was still marked with evil looking sores oozing pus. Little had changed other then the fever abating. The Cherry Blossom blinked back tears, sighing internally and shaking off her emotions. Now was the time to become a robot, one who cared nothing about the people on the table, one who cared only for the success or failure of the mission. The mission was all that mattered.

"I'm ready to begin now if it's possible." She turned her piercing gaze back upon the unfortunate doctor in front of her. He merely nodded and ushered her over to the table where the masks lay, offering her a pair of sterilized rubber gloves. Gravely she shook her head, they would only interfere with the chakra flow from her hands; she would have to risk being contaminated in order to heal the patients. However, the Cherry Blossom knew from studying the tissue from Hinata that the microorganisms were almost completely gone, destroyed by the monstrously high fever; catching the disease was improbable at this stage. But just to be on the safe side, she fastened a mask around her mouth and nose. _Better safe than sorry_, she thought anxiously as the doctor and the medic nin entered the room.

"Which will you start on?" the pensive man asked, looking around the room, "The monitors have all been showing that they all have limited time left; their lungs are too damaged to continue their purpose much longer and their other organ systems are beginning to show wear from the decreasing amount of oxygen being taken in." he pointed to some screens over in one corner of the room, showing all of the stats of the group, "Another two days maybe and they would probably start going into cardiac arrest, other systems in their bodies would begin failing." Sakura's eyes opened a little wider in alarm.

"Only two days? I would have given them another week at the least." Her heart gave a little jump in shock. _Only two days? What if I only managed to heal one today?_ Her thoughts raced anxiously, _I have no idea how much chakra this is going to take, and if I only heal one a day then someone is going to die._ A chill ran down her back at the thought of losing anyone of the three nins. Angry at herself for once again doubting, she forced the weak part of her mind down. _I'll have to heal at least two today_, she thought, calming her nerves, _not completely unreasonable, but a little daunting. _

"Very well, I'll begin on Hinata immediately." She made her way over to the Hyuga girl's bed. Hinata's breath was coming slightly easier than it was the day before, but Sakura knew not to take it as a good sign. It was only because she was drawing in less oxygen than yesterday. The Cherry Blossom raised her hands above the area she knew Hinata's lungs to be, but a tingling in her leg stopped her. It came from her pouch, the one strapped to her leg that generally held her kunai. Gingerly, she reached one of her hands inside and brushed past all the weaponry inside, touching the corner of the white paper package from Naruto.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" she gave a small smile, pushing aside the odd feeling in her mind at the tingling sensation. What was this thing? Why did it seem to call out to Hinata like that? "Hinata?" she knew her friend couldn't hear her at all in her unconscious state, but Sakura was going to talk anyway, "Naruto sent me with this to give to you. He's very thoughtful no?"Pulling out the package from her pouch, she freed it from the paper surrounding it and gave a small gasp at the object she was holding. It was a charm similar to her own, but in the shape of a sunflower, Hinata's namesake. The silver flower was bigger than her own small cherry blossom, but the craftsmanship was the same, made by the same person no doubt. A black string, with a silver clasp attached to it made a beautiful necklace and Sakura reverently lifted Hinata's head a little and buckled it around her neck, "There, Naruto would be so pleased to see you wearing his gift." She detected the chakra put into it by Naruto's hands, it felt powerful and strong, but oddly enough, Neji's wasn't there with it. She didn't feel the same sensation coming off of Hinata's charm as she did her own flower. A little perplexed, she shrugged it off and began to focus on her chakra.

Her hands touched the delicate fabric separating her from Hinata's sore covered skin and knew her fingers were over her lungs. Closing her eyes, she envisioned the structure of the lungs, the alveoli and the tissue inside. Irritation crossed over her mind at the thought of having to heal by thought rather than by sight, but she knew that to operate on Hinata and heal the damage directly rather than through the skin might very well kill the Hyuga Heiress. Being so sick and adding on the shock of surgery could prove to be fatal.

Sakura focused her chakra into her hands and felt the familiar warmth spread from the center of her being, through her arms, brushing through her joints and flirting with her muscles and swirling down to pool into her hands. Green orbs, a sign that her chakra was indeed begin the healing process, formed around her hands; her body felt strangely cool in comparison from the heat radiating from her hands as she pressed them down onto Hinata's ribcage and felt all the sores beneath her hands dissolve away under the power of her healing energy.

She envisioned all the damage done to the lungs, all the holes where blood from the body was slowly but surely leaking through, all the black spots and decaying tissue that was just waiting to be coughed up; after seeing in her mind all the trouble the bacteria had caused, she began pumping her chakra into the skin, down through the layers of tissue, through the ribcage and down into lungs themselves.

Sweat dripped down into her eyes, the concentration required was causing her muscles to cramp and her brow to furrow in pain, but she pressed on: stopping the internal bleeding into the lungs, speeding up cell mitosis to replace those cells that had been destroyed and shaping it into the necessary tissue, sealing the holes in the lungs. It wasn't easy and it was becoming downright exhausting. She checked her chakra reserves mentally, she had only used up about a quarter of her supply. If she could keep it down to half lost on Hinata, then there was a possibility that she could heal either Kiba or Shikamaru using the last half of her reserve. Tomorrow then she could heal the last one and still be within the two day time-limit. But now she had to stretch her chakra to last on Hinata.

Focusing even more, she made sure that every last bit of energy used to heal was used to its complete and full potential. Her arms began trembling with the effort, but she didn't break concentration. She was almost done with the lungs, her breath coming faster as though she had been running for a long time; _Kami!_ She cursed mentally, _my reserves are almost to half and I haven't even begun on the skin or the brain!_ Pulling out her chakra from the body, she gave a small smile at the sound of Hinata's breath coming cleaner and easier, but the grin faded quickly at the sight of all the skin left to rejuvenate. Sakura felt with one hot hand the Cherry Blossom charm around her neck, but shook her head slightly at the thought of using it. She still had a little more than half of her original amount of chakra and wasn't going to waste Neji's and Naruto's so easily.

She withdrew her chakra from her hands for a few moments, watching them shake from channeling that much energy. It was interesting to watch, but Sakura began focusing on the job at hand again. _The skin shouldn't be that much of a problem, _she thought weighing her options, _the lungs were the main issue. Healing the brain of any _

_potential damage will pose more of a problem. _Drawing nearer to the bed Hinata lay on, Sakura placed her hands on the Hyuga heiresses forehead, allowing her chakra to seep through the girl's skull and into the brain matter.

Tampering with the brain was extremely dangerous, only the most skilled medics would try it, and even then they only did it in the direst circumstances. Tsunade herself recoiled at the thought of correcting injuries that affected the brain, but Sakura dared to do it only because she knew that if Hinata suffered any brain damage from this fever, her future with Naruto and as the heiress to the Hyuga's would be crushed.

With the utmost care, Sakura probed Hinata's mind for signs of damage, checking and rechecking her cerebellum and cerebrum taking care to look for damaged or dead brain cells. Using her chakra to scan for damage without hurting the brain itself was a task that called again upon Sakura's concentration skills; her hands and arms were both shaking almost uncontrollably and sweat was pouring off of her forehead, but everything in the scan was positive. Hinata's brain was fine and she would regain consciousness soon, although she probably wouldn't remember anything that happened during or after the mission where she contracted the disease. Sakura smiled and sighed in exhaustion, at least Hinata's mind wouldn't suffer any scarring. Withdrawing her chakra from the Hyuga girl's skull slowly, the Cherry Blossom kept it concentrated in her hands and immediately began working upon the sores that covered the skin. She didn't care how much chakra she was using now, she would tap into the charm around her neck if need be, all that mattered was healing Hinata.

She drew her hands closer to the girl's skin, starting on the right arm. Slowly and surely, she began placing her chakra into Hinata's top layer of skin, sure that that was as far as the damage had spread, but that same tingling sensation that had touched her leg before stopped her. What was that? Sakura's irritation caused her to open her eyes, what's going on here?! Hinata's skin was healing itself, the sores disappearing quickly, replaced with new skin as soft and pale as a rose petal. Steadily and surely, all the sores vanished in a mere matter of moments; before Sakura could even withdraw the chakra from her hands they were all gone. Raising her eyes to the delicate hollow of Hinata's neck, she gazed wondrously at the white light seeping out of the sunflower charm that lay there. Naruto's chakra was pouring out of it and into the Hyuga girl's skin, healing it more completely than Sakura could have done herself.

The Cherry Blossom smiled warmly at the sight. _Naruto's_ _chakra proves how much he cares for Hinata_, the thought warmed her heart and caused her smile to turn into a full-fledged grin, _that idiot does care!_ Withdrawing her energy from her hands, Sakura turned from the peacefully sleeping Hinata and made her way into the observation room. All the sweating and working she had done had made her incredibly thirsty, the thought of water sounded wonderful to the parched Blossom.

Pulling off her mask as she entered the room, the pink haired medic nin turned to the nearest nurse available and sent her scurrying off for a glass of water. She leaned one hand against the table she had used before for studying the bacteria as she sat down upon a stool, sighing heavily in exhaustion.

"Tired already?" a voice called out behind her, "You still have two left!" a chuckle came as well.

"Well, perhaps the great Hyuga prodigy will have better luck…" she parried, "Feel free to try your hand at it anytime!" the Cherry Blossom turned and gave a smile of welcome to the pearl-eyed man. He stood in the doorway, his handsome face framed against the sterile white walls of the observation room and his sides flanked with Naruto and Gaara. The Jinchuriki immediately sprinted over to the window of the room; gazing out at Hinata's resting form.

"Sakura-chan!" his loud voice called out in its annoying, endearing way, "Sakura-chan what happened to her?" the amount of concern in his voice tore at Sakura's heartstrings.

"Don't worry Naruto, I just finished healing her when you came in," she rose and approached the pensive blonde, "She's going to be fine, all she needs is a little bed rest and quiet. Emphasis on the quiet!" she punched him playfully in the back of the head before turning to Gaara and Neji. She shot a welcoming smile to Neji before bowing respectfully to the redhead and giving her report, "Gaara-sama, I managed to heal the Hyuga girl and conserve half of my chakra; just enough to heal one more patient. I fear the last one will have to wait until tomorrow to be cured." Guilt showed in every aspect of Sakura's features, "However, I fear that delaying the healing on one of them may very well place their life in even more danger." She gazed up apprehensively at the Kazekage, "Which is why I am giving you the choice of which to heal next. Both of them are very dear friends of mine, but their worth to the Village of the Leaf and Village of the Sand is known only to you, so it must be your choice." Relief washed over her mind at the thought of giving the decision over to someone else; she didn't want the task of picking favorites among her friends and the thought of choosing whether to place Kiba or Shikamaru out of harm's way didn't rest easily on her conscience. She ventured a glance up at Gaara's tall frame and was amazed to see her concern mirrored upon his face.

"Sakura-san," he called out her name hoarsely as though it wounded him to speak, "You know as well as I do the trouble this choice causes me, but in the interests of both the Villages…Shikamaru must be healed first. His genius and brilliant strategies must not be lost, they are a valuable asset to both of our countries." He looked as though that decision had cost him a small part of the humanity he had regained when he was freed from Shukaku and it tore at Sakura's heart.

"Very well Gaara-san, I will begin immediately," a chilling finality entered Sakura's voice as she accepted the cup of cold water a nurse offered her and placed the face mask back over her mouth. She tucked a few loose strands of her pink hair behind one ear and made her way back into the sick room, past the bed of healthy Hinata, past the bed of dying Kiba, straight to the spot where Shikamaru lay gasping out for air.

The sarcastic nin hardly looked like himself. His spiky hair was limp and straight against his head, eyes were marked by huge purple stains that looped down beneath them, and even in unconsciousness his profile wasn't that of a lazy nin but that of a tortured, pensive man. The changes were beginning to chill Sakura to the bone.

Taking a deep breath, she focused her chakra into her hands and began the work that she knew would drain her.

XxXxXxXxXx

An eternity later, Sakura combed her body for any last dregs of chakra that might remain unused by the healing. Shikamaru was resting peacefully now, his skin completely rejuvenated, his lungs like new; the genius's brain was fine as well, but he too, like Hinata, would probably remember none of the fight that had caused him to contract the dreadful disease.

Shakily, Sakura began the long walk back into the observation room. Weakness overtook her halfway there, her long legs buckling beneath her and smacking the hard floor with a loud crack. Black hemmed in her vision and for one dreadful instant, she knew that she would lose consciousness. The blackness was reaching out for her, covering her eyes, making it impossible to see…she didn't want to faint, not in the sick room… she could feel her sentience slipping away like grains of sand…growing fainter…fainter…fainter…

"Sakura?" a soft masculine voice called out to her in the blackness, "Sakura, you've collapsed from exhaustion…don't worry, you just need some sleep, I'm taking you to your room…" it was Neji's voice; a picture of his handsome face sprang into her mind at the thought of him. His long brown hair and beautiful eyes, his witty mind and strong will…with a sigh that ripped through her body, the Cherry Blossom lost the fight with exhaustion.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

"Oh little brother…" a dark voice ripped its way from the shadows surrounding the Uchiha compound, "You're marrying the Yamanaka girl next week? Tsk Tsk…She'll only pollute our bloodline…" wild laughter erupted from the mad Itachi, his partner, Kisame slowly taking a few steps back from him.

The shark man had just returned on reconnaissance from the Village of the Leaf, learning from gossiping villagers about the Uchiha/Yamanaka union soon to take place. The little brother of Itachi was finally deciding to revive his Clan, rather admirable in a way. The swordsman grimaced as Itachi continued laughing in his mad way, it was downright creepy, but Kisame knew he would never abandon the eldest Uchiha. No matter what the circumstances.

"Kisame…it appears that we will be paying my brother and his new bride a visit next week…" Red Sharingan pierced the darkness that had fallen upon Konoha, "I believe we need to make sure that this Yamanaka girl won't pollute our prestigious blood with that of commoners." A cackle erupted as the figure disappeared into the dark of the night, "Until next week little brother…" Kisame felt shivers venture down his spine at Itachi's madness, but he was bound to the Uchiha and followed him as he walked through the darkness of the forest.

**Hey I hope you enjoyed that! Itachi is plotting reveng e because Sasuke failed to get revenge…pretty confusing if you ask me. I wonder what he plans to do to Ino…oh well I don't really lyk her anyway!! I'll update asap, review please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**Hey everybody, thanx for your reviews. This is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it!!**

_**Chapter Eleven: Dreams and Ramen**_

"Sakura?...Sakura can you hear me?" Neji's warm voice filled the eerie silence of the hospital room. The occasional beeping of monitors came from faraway chambers belonging to real patients, but other than that sound the whole hallway was silent, the lone pair completely unmolested by anyone, "Sakura?" the Hyuga tried one more time before giving up. He knew she was fine, her breathing pattern told him she was merely asleep, but that didn't stop him from worrying about her health. It was dangerous when one completely drained themselves of chakra.

A slight draft blew in the room, causing the pearl-eyed man to shiver a little and tuck the sheet surrounding Sakura's waist in around her more. She looked so peaceful, like a sleeping angel, her head sideways upon the pillow, lips slightly parted as they took air; Neji wanted to capture those lips with his own, so badly he could feel them tingling with the thought, but his shinobi restraint on his emotions held him back. _Kissing her now would be one of the worst things you could do_, his thoughts tortured him, _What if she doesn't feel the same way as you do? What if she isn't ready to face love again? You saw how much damage the Uchiha-teme did to her heart…_ Neji's reason could only agree. He would wait, as he had those five long years when she was gone, he would wait to see how she felt and only then would he act. Pulling up a chair at her bedside, he sat down and watched her, prepared to wait eons for her to wake and gaze at him with those enchanting green eyes.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

_Warm soft clouds the color of dawn wrapped Sakura up in their embrace. She knew she was dreaming, the cloudscape was too beautiful to be anything realistic; the soft colors of the rising sun touched the fluffy white surroundings with a gentle orange glow. But the light was making it hard to see anything around her, she could tell someone was standing far off to her left, and was sure they were male, but she couldn't see who it was, only feel an intense longing to go to them. With a yell of frustration she tried to move through the thick clouds but it was like running through deep water: a slow, tiring process. The light was growing brighter, so intensely luminous that one of Sakura's hands instinctively came up to cover her eyes; the figure was walking away, his progress unimpeded unlike her own. _

_"WAIT!" she cried helplessly, slipping in the wet clouds, the light growing ever brighter, "Wait don't leave me!" her frantic cries were muffled by the suffocating white. She didn't know why, but every fiber of her being wanted to be with this strange man, "Please, wait for me!"_

_In an instant, so fast Sakura's ninja skills couldn't even follow the motion, the figure was in front of her; so close the only thing she could see was his eyes, and even then the growing light was making them hard to make out. A single word came out of his mouth, his strong hands clenching her elbows in a steely grip:_

_"Sakura"_

_As the man spoke her name, a wind so strong as to be a hurricane, blew Sakura into the coming light; she screamed in the sudden pain of the experience, and opened her eyes wide in shock, simultaneously locking eyes with the figure of the receding man. _

_They were moon-pale, a perfect oval inside the white of the eye. Sakura knew those eyes, she knew that person; with a shout that took away the last of her broken breath, she cried out the name of the man who she had been longing to be with the entire space of the dream. _

_"NEJI!"_

_But before she could read his reaction, the all-encompassing light blinded her. Crying out in pain, she squeezed her eyes shut as the warm feeling in her heart sped her on her way to consciousness. _

XxXxXxXxXxXx

"Hmmm…Neji…" a moan escaped Sakura's throat as her green eyes slowly slid open, pupils shifting involuntarily at the change in light. For a fuzzy moment, she lay there in bed, absorbing her dream, trying to grasp it's meaning; but a more pressing matter caused her to stir, "What time is it?" Silence answered her question, but as she rolled over to stare at the doorway to her room, one of her hands came into contact with something that was soft and warm. Startled, she recoiled instinctively, looking down at the strange object she had touched. It was a head, covered thickly with long brown hair and attached to a pair of wide strong shoulders that were hardened with years of shinobi training. Instantly, although she couldn't see the face, Sakura knew it for Neji.

"Neji! What are you doing here?" surprise tempered her voice, but she got no answer to her question except for light snoring. _He's asleep!_ She gave a small chirp of laughter, he looks so peaceful…_I must have been unconscious for a long time for him to have passed out sitting up… _She glanced out at the clock in the hallway…_ten o'clock in the morning; I was asleep a long time!_ Her gaze turned back to Neji's body. The Hyuga prodigy was still sitting in his chair, but now his head was down upon Sakura's bed and one of his tanned arms was clutching some of her blankets in a loose grip. Sakura smiled warmly down at him, and, before she could stop herself, one of her own slim white hands entwined itself with his own. Her soft fingers stroked his calloused palm, gently massaging them. _I wonder what holding hands with him would be like?_ She questioned absent-mindedly, _he has such a strong body…_Her heart beat quickened at the thought of him wrapping her up in those vice-like arms or pressing his own smooth lips to her own. A familiar warm feeling, one she had felt often before, filled her with peace as she continued to stroke his hand.

_Is it possible I have feelings for Neji?_ The thought tore at her mind; _He's been my closest friend for years_…A memory of his eyes, always looking gently down at her, filled her mind. Had she mistaken feeling she saw in his eyes for mere friendship? What if he loved her all this time and she had never known? A small smile lit her lips as she gazed down at his sleeping form…_Perhaps I too have loved him all this time and have only been too scared to face it…the only time I can remember not having this feeling within me is when Neji is not around… _The Cherry Blossom thought back to all the times she had thought she loved the Hyuga, but merely passed off the feeling as deep friendship…_Can love happen between us?..._Uncertainty filled her heart.

His family was the Hyuga's, not a clan to be trifled with. Unions among them were considered a political affair; treaties and alliances were formed when a Hyuga married. Sakura smiled wistfully, _Good luck getting Hinata, Naruto._ But even as she smiled at the thought of Naruto and Hinata, hopelessness cascaded over her as she looked down at Neji…_What could I possibly offer the Hyuga Clan? I'm a nobody, a Haruno nobody, my only real recommendation is Tsunade's apprenticeship and how will that change anything?_ She glanced down again at the sleeping Neji, pushing aside all thoughts in her mind…_It doesn't really matter, I don't even know if he returns my feelings yet. Why would he even want me when he could marry someone richer or prettier?_...she closed her eyes and sighed, clearing her mind of all the negative thoughts. She knew that they would only interfere with her concentration when it was time to go save her last patient. _I should go finish healing Kiba. Akamaru must be sick with worry._ The sight of the poor dog whimpering in the observation room was enough to get Sakura off the bed in a hurry, but she made sure to do it gently, so Neji would remain undisturbed. Quietly, she strapped on her sandals and 

kunai pouch, quickly brushing her teeth as well. Bending down over the sleeping Hyuga, she pressed a kiss onto the palm of his hand and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind his ear.

"Sleep well Neji."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I'm here!" Sakura poked her pink head around the door into the observation room as she had done the day before, "I'm ready to complete my healing on Kiba." She gave a warm smile to everyone in the room, but glanced around a little pensively in search of Gaara or Naruto. Silently, the doctors eternally looking out into the sick room made way for her as she approached the glass and peeked inside. The Cherry Blossom sighed in relief as she saw Naruto at Hinata's bedside, mask and gloves on, and Gaara over by Shikamaru, speaking with one of the nurses who was changing his I.V.

"Sakura-san!" the same doctor who had greeted her yesterday came over, "Sakura-san , thank Kami you've arrived!" worry was evident in his eyes and furrowed brow, "The third patient, the one that remains unhealed, he has taken a turn for the worst…His kidneys have begun to fail and his lung tissue has sustained potentially more damage, in fact, this morning he flatlined and we had to restart his heart. Kazekage-sama told us to do what we could to keep him alive and above all not to wake you. He said you had to regain your chakra so you would be able to save him." The poor man was sweating with the exertion of his hysterical talking. But the words were lost on Sakura.

"Is he stable now?"

"Hai."

Instantly she snapped into action, snatching at the spare masks by the sick room door and strapping it on, all the while heading straight for Kiba's bed; she glanced at the monitors that surrounded the dog-man's unconscious body, checking his blood pressure and monitoring his heart. What she saw was not good.

Kiba's heart was beating abnormally fast, but so faintly that the monitor was hardly picking it up. His blood pressure had dropped dangerously low, and the sores lining his skin were beginning to look putrid. With the grim set of her face, Sakura checked her chakra reserves mentally. She still needed to recover from yesterday's escapade, but she had enough to get the job done. _Draining my chakra to breaking point this often can't be good for me_, she thought wryly as she focused the green energy into her hands. Kiba's feral features looked unusually worn and pale as she placed her hands upon his chest and pumped her chakra into his dilapidated body. The medic entered his lung tissue, using the same technique she had used on Shikamaru and Hinata, and felt a sigh of relief ripple through her mask as the new cells began to take and grow. Sweat broke out as it had before upon her brow as she continued to sew up the feral man's lungs, but she did not lose her concentration, and after awhile more of inducing cells to grow, she withdrew her chakra from her hands and sat back on her heels with a sigh of a job well done.

_Next is the brain_, she thought as she went through the familiar motions of scanning the brain tissue for damage, and after that, she began rejuvenating the skin. By the time she was done, Kiba looked decidedly better, and his blood pressure was up, but Sakura knew there still might be damage to the kidneys or possibly even the heart. Flatlining was no small matter.

Gingerly, she placed her chakra filled hands over the left side of Kiba's chest and entered his body slowly, forcing the green energy to be accepted by his heart. The chakra flirted with the arteries, swimming through the man's veins and all four chambers of the blood-pumping organ, mending and changing any injuries caused by the sudden failure. As the she finished with the heart, Sakura took advantage of the body's circulatory system and sent a load of energy down to the kidneys, allowing the chakra to swirl within the nephrons and surround each of the 

organs in a bubble of healing energy. _Thank Kami he has no more internal injuries_, Sakura thought in relief as she withdrew her chakra from his body and let it flow out of her hands, _he won't have any memory of the event either though…how odd. _Shrugging off the thought, the Cherry Blossom sighed in complete happiness, _I finished, I did it! I healed all three of them; they're going to make it!_ She felt the familiar sense of dizziness accompany her chakra loss, but she felt a reassuring hand upon her back, holding her up against the urge to faint.

"We're all proud of you Sakura-san," it was Gaara, the redhead's intense eyes showing with pride, "Go rest now, my medic's can handle the rest. Tsunade-sama is going to hear all about this, she'll be very pleased with your work." He ushered the tired pink-haired nin out of the sickroom and past Naruto, who was sleeping in a similar fashion to Neji on Hinata's bed, "Go back to bed now, draining yourself of chakra two days in a row isn't healthy at all. When you wake, I'll have Neji escort you back to Konoha. I don't think I could get Naruto to leave Hinata for all the ramen in Suna." He chuckled a little at his old friend's antics when it came to the dark-haired Hyuga girl.

Sakura sleepily nodded in reply, but ironically, as tired as she was from draining herself for two days in a row, she was tired of sleep. It seemed to her that the past few days had been an endless row of waking up, completing some task, and then retiring back to bed again. Now, though she did feel exhaustion creeping into her system, the heady pleasure of triumph was giving her a high. Adrenaline was pumping anxiously through her body, the Cherry Blossom felt like she was standing on top of the world.

_I finished what I set out to do_, the victory ricocheted through her mind, _the odds were against me, yet I did it! Even Gaara doubted me, but I still came through in the end!_ Her mind was afire with Rock Lee-like energy, she felt like she could go run around Suna a dozen times and still not be satiated. In the back of her mind, she remembered Neji, still asleep in her room, dozing peacefully while she finished her task.

_I can't wait to tell him_, she grinned as she began to sprint down the hallway from the sick room. Zipping down the hallway, her black sandals made a squeaking sound as they sought for purchase on the slick tiled hospital floor. The door to her room was open, her hand brushing it to keep her balance as she entered, but Neji was nowhere in sight. _Where did he go?_ The Cherry Blossom looked around, slightly dejected. She had hoped that the Hyuga prodigy would still be there, handsome face cradled on the edge of her bed by the soft white sheets, but now that she saw he wasn't, her triumph was overshadowed a bit.

"Neji?" she called softly out into the hallway, "Neji?" the beeping of distant monitors was her only reply. Sighing, the medic walked back slowly into her room, shutting the door behind her. She thought of going back to sleep, but the growling noise from her stomach told her that she had a more urgent need to satisfy. Brushing her hands down her clothes absentmindedly, the deep wrinkles in her skirt drew her attention. I can't believe I slept in this thing! A small amount of embarrassment turned her cheeks red as she thought of how she walked around the sick room in this disheveled state; she immediately walked over to her bag and began rummaging through it. A light green tank, the color of her eyes, followed by a pair of baggy black pants that reached to the tops of her shins were laid on the bed as the Cherry Blossom slipped out of the clothes she had unfortunately slept in the night before. Stumbling a little as she disrobed and pulled her pants on, she stood for a moment topless except for her black bra; it was then she felt that eerie sense of being watched again.

"Neji!?" for the second time in two days, the Hyuga had seen Sakura barely clothed; the unfortunate man didn't even see the chakra-infused punch coming at him as he cascaded backwards out into the cool hallway, "Haven't you ever heard of knocking? That's the second time Neji Hyuga! I didn't expect someone who was raised in such a high household to have such a lack of manners…!" the ranting went on Sakura's glowing fist shaking mere inches from Neji's bruised cheek. But he was lucky to get off with such a minor injury and he knew it; before Sakura left on her journey, Naruto would regularly have broken noses and black eyes from her chakra-filled punches. Dazed and confused, Neji rubbed one trembling hand over the purpling bruise as Sakura stood over him, still topless except for a bra, but face flushed from her anger and surprise. And then, in the space of an instant, the 

raging Fury vanished and became a healing Angel as Sakura knelt down on one knee and placed her glowing hand over the bruise. The surprising warmth snapped Neji out of his daze and pulled him back to the land of the living and by that time, the bruise had already been swiped off his tanned flesh by Sakura's soft hands.

"I'm sorry Neji…" her voice was a little strangled sounding as she tried to apologize without laughing, "You just surprised me and I didn't expect you and…I'm tired and hungry…" the excuses poured out of her mouth like water as she resisted the urge to giggled at Neji's still slightly-shocked face. She knew that not everybody can punch a Hyuga and live to tell the tale. With a clasping of hands and a surge of strength, Sakura helped Neji up to his feet and gave him a shy smile before realizing she was still in her bra. "EEK!" in a flash, the Cherry Blossom was back in her room, slipping on the green tank top and fastening her hitai-ate up in her hair. Neji stood back in the hallway, arms folded across his chest, a small smile on his lips. Even though he had just gotten a mouthful of Sakura's fist, he couldn't help but smile at how adorable she was.

"I'm sorry to have scared you, you're right, I should've knocked," he apologized as Sakura met him out in the hall, "I went back to Gaara's house while you were healing to freshen up and change clothes; I was just coming to see if you wanted lunch." He gave her a quizzical look, as her stomach rumbled undeniably, "I'll take that as a yes…" they both chuckled a little and she linked her arm through his playfully, giving him one of her warmest smiles.

"I was going to ask Naruto as well, but I couldn't drag him away from Hinata even for a bowl of ramen." The pair chuckled at Neji's statement, and Sakura could only agree that it was true.

"How have they been while I was gone?" Sakura inquired softly, thinking that if Naruto had a chance with Hinata, why shouldn't she have a chance with Neji? Naruto had no important family connections either, only his own reputation and the friendship of several prominent people in Konoha, pretty much the same situation as Sakura.

"A year or two after you left, the two started dating a little," Neji smiled at the memories, "Hinata finally seemed to get over her shyness and she even stopped stuttering…but my uncle wasn't pleased at all." The Hyuga's voice darkened a little and Sakura felt fear and uncertainty spear through her heart.

"Why?" she asked, already knowing the answer to her question: the fearsome Hyuga lord wasn't happy because Naruto was a nobody, just like herself, "Wouldn't he be glad that Hinata was finally starting to come out of her shell? I mean, it seems like she gained a lot of confidence from Naruto."

"No, my uncle wasn't happy because Hinata is a Hyuga, more specifically the heiress to our Clan." He looked down at Sakura as they made their way out into the sand swept streets of Suna, "He didn't want Hinata falling in love with someone who has nothing to offer our family. Naruto has no family ties, no blood connections and certainly isn't rich, so in the eyes of my uncle, he's a nobody. Not to mention he has the spirit of the Kyubi in him." Sakura knew that Neji was going to give that answer. It was the most practical one and was reasonable to expect the leader of a strong political force to act that way. But several words caught Sakura's attention in the sentence Neji spoke.

"What do you mean '**wasn't** happy'? or '**didn't** want'?" Sakura questioned the tense of the words Neji used, the odd sensation of hope springing up in her heart. She wasn't sure why she felt this insane sensation; Neji, like Hinata, would be expected to give his affections and attentions to a more worthy, wealthy girl; someone who had something to offer on the table of political connections.

"My uncle quickly realized, after a short 'chat' with the Hokage, that Naruto, although being an orphan and having little money or no family, was far from being a nobody." Neji laughed a little at the memory of the Hokage threatening the great Hyuga leader with her awesome strength, Neji's uncle had been shocked to have been so rudely spoken too, but after a few nicely aimed chakra-infused punches, he came around Tsunade's way of thinking, "My 

uncle failed to realize that Naruto has friends everywhere, and great personages in the Village no less. He's friends with the great Copy-cat nin, like a brother to the last Uchiha, almost a son to the Hokage, and best friends with the Kazekage, not to mention he is a powerful Jinchuriki and a shoe-in for the next Hokage. The Hyuga Clan saw that Naruto was far from worthless." Neji clasped Sakura's arm a little closer to his own body as he thought of what she must be thinking, "After my uncle saw it that way, Naruto was allowed, even welcomed, into the Clan and was permitted to court Hinata. My uncle has been looking forward to a union for quite some time now." Neji finished the story happily and the Cherry Blossom beside him trembled inwardly.

_Naruto has all the same connections I do!_ Sakura thought excitedly, _Kakashi-sensei is my old teacher, Sasuke is my former teammate, Tsunade is even closer to me than she is to Naruto, and I too am good friends with Gaara, not even mentioning I'm one of the most formidable kunoichi in the whole of the Village. We're practically the same!_ Excitement at the thought that her affection for Neji might be permitted by his uncle was only crushed again as another thought entered her mind. _It doesn't matter if the Lord of the Hyuga's will accept me or not, Neji is the one who matters. I don't even know if he holds anything for me stronger than sisterly affection. _Despite her thoughts, she managed to plaster on a fake smile as Neji talked animatedly on about things in the Village after Sakura had left.

"How has Lee been?" Sakura asked as they found a small ramen shop and ordered their food, "I didn't see him when I arrived in Konoha." She knew how Neji and Bushy Brows had been rivals in their genin days, but it had mellowed out as they had grown older, the two becoming an efficient team when placed on missions together.

"He's still the same, always saying something about the 'power of youth'" Neji laughed as they received their ramen and began eating, "He's been out of the Village for a while though, Tsunade-sama sent him on a mission to Iwagakure. Something about training their nin in taijutsu, he's been gone for over a year now."

Sakura quietly slurped up her noodles, thinking about what Neji was telling her. But hunger could no longer be denied, and she wolfed down three bowls of the delicious treat. The Hyuga laughed at her outrageous appetite, while polishing off four bowls of his own ramen.

"Kami Neji! You eat just as much as Naruto!" Sakura poked him playfully in the ribs as the pearl-eyed man paid for lunch and left the restaurant. The windy streets of Suna sent them running towards the hospital, racing each other through the sand-filled sidewalks. Sakura cut Neji off more than one time as they jovially sprinted back to the hospital, but the Hyuga began to cheat, pumping chakra into his feet to enhance his speed.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Sakura called out childishly as she pumped her own chakra into her feet. She sped by the Byakugan-wielder with little effort, lightly bumping him on the hip and into a brick wall. It slowed him down considerably and allowed her to take the lead as they reached the hospital, breathless and sweating from the heat.

"Oh well…I guess you win…" Neji relented, not trying to argue with the triumphant Sakura, "Although I will say that bumping me into a wall is definitely cheating." He smiled and opened the door to the cool hospital lobby, ignoring Sakura's exasperated attempts to argue about his own "cheating". They talked and laughed together as they approached the Cherry Blossom's room, keeping their voices down so as not to disturb the other patients in rooms close by.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you!" Sakura kept her voice down as she remembered what Gaara had told her, "Gaara said that you are to escort me home tomorrow; Naruto will stay behind and bring back Shikamaru, Kiba and Hinata when they are well enough to travel. He said he would send them back with Temari or Kankuro as an added escort." She smiled up at him as she relayed the news, but was troubled by his odd expression.

"Tomorrow morning? So soon…" he was lost in his thoughts. The Hyuga knew that as soon as they returned to the Village, the chances of them being on another mission together would be slim. They might spend 

weeks, possibly months apart before seeing each other again. As happy as he would be to stop sleeping in Gaara's house, he didn't want to give up seeing Sakura every day.

"Tsunade-shishou told me to return as soon as I was finished, and as of today I have officially completed my task…What? …You don't want to escort me back to Konoha?" the Cherry Blossom pretended to be offended as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted up at Neji, "Well that is just fine Neji Hyuga, I don't need you to protect me; I can take care of myself!" she turned her back to him and stomped off down the hallway towards her room, a chuckling Neji following after.

"Wait!" he called after her, breathless from laughing, the Hyuga caught up and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I would be honored to give my life to protect you." _What did I just say?_ Neji mentally slapped himself in the head and wished the ground would swallow him whole._ That sounds like something Lee would spout off!_ Neji wondered for a moment if being on a three man cell with that green-jumpsuit-wearing-crazy-man had subconsciously traumatized him. _Kami! she's going to think I'm some kind of sentimental idiot!_ He thought back to all the times she had complained about Lee saying things that sounded painfully similar to what had just left his mouth.

But instead of laughing it off, or making fun of Neji's Lee-like statement, Sakura was touched. She had long outgrown the childish abhorrence of love that made all of Bushy Brow's statements terrifying. The Cherry Blossom had grown to accept and understand the feeling that went behind words like those. Living in a society where Death was a daily occurrence, when someone told you they would die for you, it was a serious matter; One that generally only occurred between very good friends. Her heart overflowed with that odd warm feeling again as she rose up on her toes and gave the nervously laughing Hyuga a hug.

"Thank you Neji," she said with a smile, "You don't know what that means to me."

The pearl-eyed man closed his arms about the pink Blossom, inhaling the smell of her. How he longed to tell her his own feelings, take her in his arms any time he wanted, but he was still unsure of how she felt. _Does she see me only as a friend?_ He saw how close Sakura and the Jinchuriki were, almost like brother and sister, and it scared him to wonder if that was how Sakura held him in her heart. The will to ask her was there inside him, the question was burning on his lips, but he dare not do it. He was frightened of taking that step into the unknown and even more frightened of losing Sakura's friendship should his feelings for her be made known. With a sigh, he settled for giving her a hug in the here and now.

After a moment, they backed away from each other shyly, Sakura giving an inward sigh at letting go and Neji consciously feeling the ache of loneliness in his empty arms. But the Cherry Blossom was first to recover.

"Remember!" she smiled as she reminded him, "We're leaving first thing tomorrow… I gotta go pack!" she waved as she retreated into her hospital room and shut the door on the Hyuga, glad to finally be able to wipe the false smile of happiness off of her face. The day's events, specifically when Neji spoke of Hinata and Naruto, weighed heavily on her mind; she collapsed onto her bed with a sigh and willed herself not to think of them.

_Even if he doesn't care for me in that way, I can be happy just knowing he's close to me,_ she didn't want to cry, but her melancholy thoughts were making it hard. Quickly, as though to scrub the tears out of her body, the Cherry Blossom rose and threw herself into an unbelievably hot shower, wiping away all her worries in the torrent flowing from the faucet.

_No matter who he chooses, I will always be a friend to him._

**So we leave our Sakura with some sad thoughts, but their journey back to Konoha is coming up. And Itachi is still planning some sick revenge. Review please! Thanx for your support!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Hey everybody! It's been what…a year since I've worked on this story? I want to apologize for the wait. You've all been really good fans! Anyway, this part isn't really long or filled with anything detrimental to the plot line, but it will get me back into the swing of this story, I've almost forgotten what I planned for all of this! This is a two part chapter, so here's part 1.**

_Chapter 12a: A Ballet Over the Sand_

The desert sun beat brutally down on Suna, the wind coursing over the dunes as though trying to cool them off from the intense heat. Several figures, their faces covered in hoods and their bodies cloaked, stepped out into the raging wind and moved toward the gate out of the city.

"Sakura-san, are you sure you want to do this today?" Gaara removed his hood and wiped a flicker of sand out of his eye, "The sand is restless…I think a sandstorm is brewing." His eyes calmly surveyed the roiling, dusty dunes of the desert.

Sakura turned on her heel and glared fiercely at the Kazekage.

"Gaara-san, for the millionth time, Neji and I will be just fine!" she tried to keep her voice under control, but the events of the previous night hadn't exactly set her in the greatest mood. She had tossed and turned all night, the same dream about the clouds and the strange man plaguing her, until finally she had slipped into a few hours of restless sleep right before dawn. Then there was Gaara with his dire predictions of certain weather trouble; he had insisted every five minutes that she stay behind and wait just another day before making the journey. Sakura sighed inwardly, a certain restlessness had taken over her body lately; she just felt the urge to get back to Konoha as soon as possible.

"Sakura, if you get caught out there in a sandstorm, there's little you can do to stay alive," Gaara's own impatience was showing as he attempted to talk the determined Cherry Blossom out of leaving in such dire conditions, "If you get stuck in one, no one can help you. Your healing ability will have no effect; you'll be completely at the mercy of nature." He nodded out toward the sand, flashing gold in the sun as the wind blew it to and fro.

"Don't worry Gaara-san," Neji stepped up behind Sakura and placed a reassuring had on her shoulder, "We'll be safe, and I'm sure we'll make it to the forests of Konoha before the sandstorm hits; it's just the two of us traveling, we'll cover a lot of ground in a day." He tried to sound cheerful, but Gaara still looked worried.

"If you two absolutely insist upon making this journey, then here-" he pulled out a thick canvas cloth from under his cloak and gave it to Neji, "If you don't make it back to the forest by the time the storm hits, then get down and pull that over yourselves, you just might have a chance of making it then." He said as he bid them farewell, giving Sakura a timid half-hug and Neji a brief nod.

"You had better take good care of her Neji-san, " Gaara hissed at him when Sakura was out of earshot, "She's a wonderful woman, probably more than you deserve anyway." The redhead smirked as Neji blushed and shot him a glare.

"I'll miss you too, Gaara-san." The Hyuga gave him a smile in return as he bid the Kazekage goodbye, following the anxious Cherry Blossom out of the gate.

"Hurry Neji, you're worse than Naruto!" Sakura tossed the remark behind her shoulder, remembering all the holdups and problems caused by the blonde Jinchuriki and his accident-prone habits. Glancing behind her to make sure Neji still followed, Sakura picked up the speed and set off across the open desert toward home.

"Sakura! Sakura!" Neji cried as she bolted off across the dunes, "Slow down! You'll run out of energy before we even reach a quarter of the way home!" But it was no use; the pink-haired nin paid him no mind as she stretched her legs and flew over the golden sand.

"What's the matter Neji?" she shouted back playfully, "you're in no mood for a race?" she laughed as he picked up on her challenge and chased after her.

"Be careful what you ask for, you have no brick walls to bump me into out here," the pale-eyed Hyuga shot back as he caught up right behind Sakura, he legs beginning to close the gap between them . Suna was far behind them now, becoming a mere dot lost in the dust they kicked up. The wind was at their back, making running slightly easier in the scorching sun and driving sand.

Neck and neck, the two raced across the desert, their proud shapes moving effortlessly through the air. Neji glanced over at Sakura now and again, gazing at the graceful way she propelled herself forward. Watching her run was like watching a dance, no steps out of place, a beat and rhythm that he could see and feel; he was captured by the beauty she created all in the simple act of running.

The tawny land stretched out before them, beautiful and wide as the sky. Sakura felt the wind behind her hair, pushing her ever onwards towards Konoha and home, keeping her from glancing at the fading speck of Suna in the distance, but not stopping her from watching Neji periodically out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't ever get her fill of watching him, just the way he moved, his leanly muscled arms flashing at his sides, and his tan legs so easily keeping pace with her own.

She pushed out any worries of her future with this man, she refused to even think of what his family might say about her in a day or two days, she only wanted this moment, running with him across an open and endless desert, enjoying the strength and youth of their bodies. Anything that might come after this very moment was something she would just have to worry about when it happened. Closing her eyes, the Cherry Blossom felt the wind change direction, hitting her in the face and cooling her sweaty brow.

"You want to stop?" she threw over at Neji, smiling at his flushed face and feeling her heart flutter as his eyes met her own. J

"Not a chance, you'll just have to run me into ground," he smiled back at her as they made their way across the open sun –scorched dunes, to the tree-shaded hills of Konoha.

**I hope you enjoyed that, I love writing about Neji and Sakura! I'm sorry again for the super long wait, and I know this is a pretty useless chapter plot wise, but I'll work on writing a better one for next time. Thanks again!!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**Hey everyone! I hoped you liked the first part of the chapter, it was kindof just a jump back into the story-line. Thanks for being so patient! Review would definitely be appreciated. I'm just going to label this chapter 13, it's just easier to keep track of. Thanks again for your support!**

_**Chapter 13: Confession of a Sandstorm**_

A pair of figures made their way across the golden dunes, two small trails of barely visible footprints lagging behind them like a flag. Their cloaks waving like wayward hands, waving goodbye to Suna and hello to the green landscape of Konoha. They had long ago passed out of the soft, fine sand of the deep desert and into the middle ground between forest and dunes, the scrub land with its hard flat ground and scarce bush or two. Huge boulders rested upon each other, their bodies making small cave-like shelters that an infrequent desert animal or two would scamper out of at the pair's approach.

Wordlessly the pair ran on, the time and energy for conversation had run out long ago. The pale-eyed Hyuga would, every now and then, glance over at the pink kunoichi, it was hard to keep his eyes away from her for very long, but the desert snakes dug holes large enough to sprain an ankle in and he had to be careful not to make that mistake. He didn't want to rob Sakura of precious energy that would better be used towards getting home if she had to heal him. He noticed how heavy her breathing was and wordlessly he gave the signal for a rest.

The pink nin halted with an exhaled breath. Sakura's feet were beginning to get sore from the constant running, but aside from that and the sweat pouring off of her brow, she had no complaints. The wind was her only worry, and often Gaara's dire warnings of an impending sandstorm would make her breath catch in her throat. What if the Kazekage was right? She cursed herself for her stupidity, Gaara had lived in the desert his entire life; he would know when a sandstorm was coming. What if she had needlessly put Neji in harm's way? Her heart ached at the thought of the pale-eyed man hurt because of her. She glanced over at him, his chest heaving as he pulled out his canteen and took a sip from it. Catching her glance, he smiled at her, wiping his chin with his forearm.

"Neji…" the flushed Cherry Blossom said, breathless as she pushed her worries out of her mind, "I'd forgotten how long this journey really is!" she smiled slightly at him, her cracked lips hurting from the movement; she smothered some lip balm on as she glanced at the sweating Hyuga male.

"Well," Neji began with a mock-exasperated look on his face, "If you hadn't insisted running all this way, I'm sure we wouldn't be half so sweaty and exhausted as we are now." He took a sip from his own canteen and readjusted his cloak so it kept him insulated against the sand better.

"You have to admit we wouldn't be half so far as we are now either," Sakura said with a grin on her face, her eyes met his and a blush that would've been visible except for her exercise-flushed face, crept up her neck, but as they stood there for a few precious minutes, enjoying the desert breeze cooling their sweat, the strange restlessness that had overtaken Sakura that morning returned with a vengeance, "Should we keep moving?"

"Hai," Neji gave a half-nod and tucked his canteen back into his cloak. There was something odd about the wind now, it blew from Suna, hard and fierce with an evil feel to it; it was beginning to make him nervous, and almost like a talisman to ward off disaster, he touched the thick canvas bundle tucked into his belt.

Without another word, they set off towards home, the dust from their impact on the earth blown towards them in the ever increasing wind. Sakura could feel Neij's nervousness, and she was beginning to feel the first tendrils of uneasiness sliding around her chest. Exhaustion was making her limbs tremble slightly, but the adrenaline that was being released kept her going. The sky was becoming darker and darker as they ran on, the sun disappearing altogether behind some clouds. The Cherry Blossom turned her head up timidly, glancing in the direction of the sun.

"Neji-", Sakura panted, "Look at the sky…" the very corners of the sky were becoming a golden brown color, reminiscent of the sand they were running on. As she leapt into the air again, propelling herself forward, a huge gust of wind caught her in midair, hurling her light frame forward. Grunting, Sakura landed on the hard desert floor, wincing at the slight pain coming from her scraped hands and legs. Instantly, Neji was at her side, his arm wrapping around her waist as he helped her up.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern in his eyes as another huge gust of wind almost knocked him off balance as well. He turned in the direction of Suna, his pale eyes widening in shock, the continuous stream of high wind knocking his cloak off of his head, "Oh Kami-we've got to move, NOW!" he effortlessly picked Sakura up and bolted towards Konoha, his feet barely touching the ground.

"Neji-what's wrong-" the kunoichi began, but a quick glance over Neji's shoulder told her all she needed to know: a huge wall of dust, reaching upwards into the unseen, was sweeping their way, the winds so strong that Sakura couldn't even look at it anymore. Fear made her heart pound as she trembled in Neji's arms and wordlessly she buried her head in his chest to avoid looking at the spiraling clouds of deadly dust.

Neji's moon-pale eyes scanned frantically for a place to hunker down for the storm, the frightened Cherry Blossom still in his arms. He cradled her gently but firmly, he couldn't risk her falling behind or getting hurt, he needed to keep her safe. His hands clenched around her unintentionally, strengthening his grip as his eyes lighted upon a shelter.

The ground was completely flat and hard, but a large group of stones was perhaps only a half-mile away. They leaned upon each other, like mourning friends seeking comfort and in between them was a small crevice large enough for one or two people to squeeze into. Steeling himself for the run of his life, Neji clenched his teeth and pushed off, sprinting across the scrub-land towards salvation.

The wind flung itself at his back, almost knocking him off balance several times. The roaring columns of sand were right behind them, he could feel the grains nipping at his heels as the ever-present wind snarled and hissed at them, pushing the storm closer and closer to the couple. The distance that stretched between the pair and safety was rapidly decreasing, the hard brown earth flying away under the Hyuga's legs.

The smooth stones, worn down from many years of such storms, were almost in reach. Neji's heart was in his throat, Sakura squirming in fear in his arms, as his exhausted legs leapt towards the opening in between the boulders, making it by a hair; the storm erasing his footprints almost as soon as his feet had created them.

Instantly, with reflexes that would have made Kakashi jealous, Neji set Sakura down and grabbed the canvas tarp, flinging it over the door just as the sandstorm rolled over the rock formation.

For a moment, all was silent as the two sat there in the dark; the only sounds were Neji as he tried to catch his breath and the howling of the wind as it tore over the stone. Slowly, so as not to dislodge the canvas keeping the wind and sand out, the Hyuga tucked it securely into the rock's sides, placing smaller stones over the corners to hold it in place. The wind beat against it occasionally, but it would hold.

"Are you alright?" The pink kunoichi spoke up first, her hand coming gently down on Neji's shoulder, his back to her, "I should've listened to Gaara…I'm sorry I dragged you into this…" she finished lamely, withdrawing her hand from his skin. She hoped he wasn't too angry with her, getting to Konoha had seemed so important this morning, but now the pink medic nin saw how dangerous impatience could be.

"Sakura-", Neji turned around, his eyes growing accustomed to the dim light, "It's not your fault, you had no idea that it a sandstorm was coming." He felt exhausted, his limbs were trembling , but the last he wanted was to make Sakura feel responsible for their present circumstances.

"But Gaara-"

"Even Gaara doesn't know for sure when one is coming," Neji said, "He can't predict them perfectly; he said there was a chance. He didn't say that there would definitely be a sandstorm. Unfortunately, his hunch turned out to be correct." The pale-eyed Hyuga attempted some humor, but he could tell from Sakura's voice that she was on the verge of tears.

"But Neji…" Sakura's voice was very strained, "You could have gotten hurt, because of my impatience." She turned from him, her eyes almost spilling over, she didn't want to turn back into the weak, puling Sakura; the Sakura who cried at the drop of a hat. She took one deep breath, steeling her emotions and pulling herself back together. Crying wouldn't get them out of this situation, only logic would.

The medic nin felt two strong hands upon her shoulders, turning her to face a broad chest. The smell of fresh sweat and skin, stronger since the kunoichi's sight was useless in the cave, greeted her and she could feel Neji's breath on her hair as he shook her lightly.

"Don't think that way Sakura," the Hyuga said, "I won't allow you to blame yourself for this. There was no way you could have predicted this." The pale-eyed man couldn't hold her close like this for much longer, she was like a drug; the urge to kiss all her worries away was simply too great for him to overcome. His grip on her arms softened, drawing her closer to him. He tried to stop himself, but his resolve, worn away by exhaustion, was finally weakening.

A moment of tension grew, like words being left unsaid, Sakura's mouth was open, but she felt no need to say anything. She felt Neji's hands pull her closer, until her body was touching his, the great feeling of expectation settling on her like a mantle. Time seemed to slow down, as she felt more than saw his handsome face bend down to meet her lips in a timid kiss.

Horrified, Neji drew back a little. What had he done? He may love Sakura, but he couldn't believe he had just compromised their friendship! What if she didn't feel the same way? He had just ruined the bond they shared. Things would only be awkward between them now. He mentally kicked himself as he thought of something to say.

"Sakura-", he began, but a pair of sweet soft lips shut him up as Sakura pulled his face back down to hers. The Hyuga smiled against her lips, maybe things wouldn't be so awkward between them now…

"I had no idea you felt this way," the medic nin said as she rested her forehead against his , eyes closed while enjoying his proximity, "I always thought you viewed me as a sister." She rested her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. They had almost five years of cuddling to make up for.

"A sister?" Neji smiled down at her, pressing kisses into her hair, no longer afraid she would feel it, "I was afraid you were still hurting from the Uchiha!" he couldn't stop smiling, he felt like he could outrun another sandstorm, rip apart Hokage Mountain with his hands, climb the sky and retrieve the moon, all for the love of the Cherry Blossom. His limbs shook, but his heart felt like it would fly out of his chest.

Sakura laughed, her eyes no longer filled with tears and her heart no longer unsure of how Neji felt. Exhilaration flowed over her like a river as she reached up to kiss the Hyuga again, the feel of his lips on hers enough to make her unafraid of the roaring sandstorm outside. But after the kiss, she could feel Neji's exhaustion in his trembling limbs; gently, she led him to the side of the rock and sat down next to him, cradling his shoulders as he rested his head upon her.

"That was quite a run," he sighed, his eyes fluttered against her cheek, the eye lashes tickling her, "I think Naruto would have been jealous." He could feel Sakura's smile against his forehead as she pressed her lips to his hair.

"Shh…" she whispered softly, "You're exhausted, you need to rest for the next half of the journey." Softly, to soothe him as he relaxed against her shoulder, she stroked his long hair, enjoying the silken feel of it between her fingers and the warm head of the Hyuga now pressed against her neck. She pressed her head back against the smooth rock and closed her eyes, happy.

The sandstorm passed over the rock outside, howling its fury, while the two contented nin's rested inside, safe and sound in the knowledge that they were in love.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Hokage-sama," Hyuga Hiashi stood in front of the ash-blonde woman, his pale gray eyes deadly serious, "I've come to have you sign some papers for me." He presented a small stack of files, the signature of the Hokage being required upon all of them.

"Well? What are they for?" Tsunade was impatient, Sakura and Neji had not returned yet, and, while she had received the note from Gaara telling her about the success of the healing, she desperately wanted her apprentice back. Things weren't the same with Sakura gone; it had taken five long years for Tsunade to understand that.

Wordlessly, the Hyuga handed the papers over for Tsunade's inspection.

"Official marriage papers?" the amber-eyed woman stared at them, "An official betrothal? Hyuga-san, these are hardly done anymore." She attempted her best smile at the imposing leader, while thinking of how horribly backwards he was in his thinking.

"Hokage-sama, if you will continue reading, you will understand that this arranged marriage is for the betterment of two involved parties," Hiashi sternly said, "It is not a love match, but a way to ensure stability and prosperity between two Houses-"

Tsunade turned her attention away from the Hyuga leader, smiling to herself as he blathered on about honor, duty and responsibility to one's clan. Her eyes perused the papers, skimming them more than reading them. But her face blanched when it came across the two people who would be getting married: Nakano Tenten and Hyuga Neji.

"Hyuga-san," she attempted to keep her voice calm and tried not to think of Sakura, "What is this?" she pointed to the two names on the list.

"Ah yes, Nakano-san, Tenten's father, approached me recently about marrying his daughter to my nephew. They own a shipping company in the land of the waves, a very wealthy shipping company," Hiashi smiled, "The girl is a good shinobi from everything I've heard, and her father has many political connections in the other Shinobi Nations." The Hyuga's eyes snapped impatiently to Tsunade's hand, "Will you sign the papers already? I have many preparations to oversee for this match to take place."

"What about Neji?" Tsunade questioned, "Does he want this as well?" she hoped against hope that the Hiashi would recognize that Neji was attached to someone else.

"Neji will marry where and when I tell him to," Hiashi's voice contained all the authority of a born Hyuga leader, "Besides; he is attached to no one. No girls have caught his eye; he recognizes that he is a Hyuga, and must marry for the improvement of the family. If he had at least shown some interest in a girl of reputable name then I would have allowed him to marry where he chose, but since he has not, I will take the initiative." He glanced at Tsunade's shaking hand and wondered why she suddenly looked so pale, "Hokage-sama, are you ill?"

"No, no, I'm not ill," Tsunade recovered her composure and forced a smile, "Just a little tired, must I sign these today? Could I have a little time to think about this before I sign one of my best shinobi away to marriage?" she attempted a laugh, but it came out like a bitter cough, "You must admit Hyuga-san, this is a big step for Neji to make."

She hoped she could stall until Neji and Sakura got back, but inside she knew that a Hokage could not stop an arranged marriage between two willing families indefinitely. Hiashi had every right to marry Neji to Tenten if he wanted, and as long as Tenten's father agreed and the marriage contract signed, there was nothing that Tsunade could do to stop them. The paperwork that she had to initial was mere formality, just a way to show that the Hokage supported the match, but utterly unnecessary in the long run.

"I would appreciate it if you would sign them now," the Hyuga smiled, his eye twitching ever so slightly, "As I have said, I have many preparations to see to if this match is going to take place." His shoulders were rigid with impatience and Tsunade knew that she was fighting a losing battle. She could either sign the papers and maintain the favor of the Hyuga family, or stand against them and make some very strong political enemies in the Village.

The two powerful figures stared each other down, amber against pearl, Tsunade's eyes softening as she realized that she had little choice but to participate in the breaking of Sakura's heart. Perhaps it was best this way, if Neji had never mentioned to his uncle that he had feelings for Sakura, then perhaps he did indeed only view her as a close friend, a sister. But that didn't help the Hokage as she knew how well Sakura loved Neji.

"I'm so sorry Sakura," she whispered softly, as she initialed the papers in a tense silence.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Sasuke-kun?" Ino ran through the empty Uchiha compound, long pony-tail swatting the air behind her, "Sasuke-kun? Where are you?" she turned the corner and into the courtyard. Fresh mounds of earth were being removed to make room for the plants by Sasuke's own hands in between training sessions and the whole area smelled of new beginnings.

The dark-haired man was sitting under a newly planted tree, his clothes dirty from working in the garden and a small piece of parchment in his hands. He looked up as Ino came over, dead eyes registering the sight of her as she wordlessly sat down next to him.

"What is that?" she peered closely at it, only managing to catch the seal of the Council of Konoha in the corner before Sasuke snapped it away, folding it up and tucking it away in a pocket before looking over in Ino's direction.

"It's nothing," came the reply, "Ino, call your mother and father and tell them that the wedding will take place the day after tomorrow. We haven't any time to lose; we must show the Council I'm not wasting any time." Without another word, he rose and made his way over to the shed in the corner, leaving Ino in a state of shock.

"But Sasuke-"

"Ino, we don't have time to argue about this," the Uchiha's voice came from inside the shed, he sighed audibly, as though regretting what he had to say "That note was from the Council, they feel that I am not taking advantage of the time and opportunities given to me. They also remind me that I am living on borrowed time and their generosity"

"Ino, we need to be married, and soon." He walked over and stood in front of her, "I am sorry, but we can't delay even to next week, it must be the day after tomorrow." Sasuke moved into the house, his steps heavy and tired, like a man being constantly beaten into the ground.

The blonde woman looked over her shoulder, making sure the Uchiha was safely inside, before placing one timid hand upon her lower abdomen.

"Don't worry Sasuke," she whispered gently, her hand upon the new life inside her, "We'll be safe from the council soon." She smiled softly, her heart alight with the hope that she carried inside her. The doctor had just told her the good news this morning, but had warned her against telling Sasuke just yet. There were many things that could go wrong in the first few weeks and she didn't want to risk getting his hopes up for nothing.

Smiling to herself, the blonde woman crept into the house, unaware of the crazed pair of red eyes watching her every move.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Well Kisame, this complicates things," Itachi's feverish eyes glanced at his blue companion, "If my idiot of a brother knew anything, he'd realize that Yamanaka girl was pregnant." He shook his head, smiling cruelly, "My little brother- the last hope of the Uchiha family." His voice dripped in sarcasm.

"It looks like we'll have to move our plans up a few days," Itachi continued talking even though Kisame was only half-listening, "He said the day after tomorrow; my death or his is drawing closer and closer." The elder Uchiha smiled softly,

"The day after tomorrow Death… you'll just have to wait until then."

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed that! Remember to review…having only 60 reviews for a story makes me kind of sad…Thanks for your patience! The next chapter will be following soon.**


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